Simon Property Group on Wednesday announced it is temporarily closing all of its locations to help stop the spread of COVID-19, a disease caused by a new coronavirus.

Simon is closing all its retail properties in the U.S., including malls and premium outlets. Locations will close at 7 p.m. Wednesday and will remain closed until March 29, the company said in a news release.

“The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is of paramount importance and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said David Simon, the chairman, chief executive officer and president of Simon.

Simon has malls located across Massachusetts and New England.

In Massachusetts, there are 256 cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to the state Department of Public Health.

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