Evers said the closure won't begin until Wednesday to give school districts ample time to make plans. However, individual schools can choose to close earlier than Wednesday.

"Closing our schools is not a decision I made lightly, but keeping our kids, our educators, our families, and our communities safe is a top priority as we continue our work to respond to and prevent further spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin," Evers said in a news release.

Evers' announcement came hours after the state Department of Health Services announced that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state had doubled to 19 in one day.

The move comes a day after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closed all schools in her state, effective Monday. Several other states have also closed schools.