Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, front, gestures during a news conference as House speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, right, and Secretary of Public safety Brian Moran, left, look on at the Capitol Thursday March 12 , 2020, in Richmond, Va. Northam declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, front, gestures during a news conference as House speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, right, and Secretary of Public safety Brian Moran, left, look on at the Capitol Thursday March 12 , 2020, in Richmond, Va. Northam declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday ordered all schools in Virginia to close for at least two weeks as the coronavirus spreads, a move that coincides with similar orders in several other states.

Schools will close Monday until at least March 27, Northam said in a statement.

“We are taking this action to keep Virginians as safe and healthy as possible, and to minimize exposure to COVID-19,” Northam said. “I recognize this will pose a hardship on many families, but closing our schools for two weeks will not only give our staff time to clean and disinfect school facilities, it will help slow the spread of this virus.”

Northam’s decision came as the number of coronavirus cases in the state nearly doubled in one day: from 17 on Thursday to 30 on Friday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Seven of the new cases are in northern Virginia, according to the health department. Another five are in James City County near Williamsburg, and the final new case is in Harrisonburg,

In all, 17 of the 30 cases are in Northern Virginia. Ten of the 30 cases have required hospitalization.

Northam declared a state of emergency Thursday and said he was canceling all state conferences and large events for the next 30 days. He urged local governments and private organizers to follow suit. He also announced new restrictions on travel for state workers.

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The coronavirus has infected more than 137,000 people worldwide and killed more than 5,000. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people who contract it recover within weeks.

Before Northam’s announcement on Friday, public school systems in the state were struggling with the decision on whether to remain open. Virginia’s largest school system had defended its decision to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic only to capitulate hours later when faced with angry parents.

A growing number of universities have suspended on-campus instruction, extended spring break, or both. Those include the University of Virginia, William & Mary, James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Longwood University, where a student tested positive for COVID-19.

Arlington National Cemetery closed to most visitors on Friday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but said funerals would continue as scheduled.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, a private facility, was to remain closed until March 31.

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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Associated Press writers Sarah Rankin and Alan Suderman contributed to this report from Richmond, Va.