New Jersey schools closed for the rest of the school year

New Jersey schools will remain closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the school year, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Monday. 

Murphy said the decision was made “to protect the health of our children, our educators, and their families.” 

“Guided by safety and science, this is the best course of action,” he said.

#BREAKING: ALL SCHOOLS WILL REMAIN CLOSED for in-person instruction for the remainder of the school year – to protect the health of our children, our educators, and their families.

Guided by safety and science, this is the best course of action. pic.twitter.com/PI5xFxPlVZ

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 4, 2020

New Jersey schools have been closed, with instruction shifted online, since March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Most states have closed schools for the rest of their academic years due to the crisis. 

New Jersey has been hard hit by the pandemic. The state has reported more than 128,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7,910 deaths as of Monday.