Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker officially canceled face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the current school year on Friday to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Pritzker suspended in-person instruction for K-12 schools statewide on March 17. Originally set to end on March 30, Pritzker extended the closure through April 30 before the final announcement on Friday.

“We know that there are many school districts with unique challenges, and we will work with them on any issues that may arise. I know that many have felt that this was inevitable. But trust me when I say this was not a decision I made lightly,” Pritzker said at Friday’s COVID-19 update conference in Chicago.

Though school buildings have closed, teachers at public and private schools are still expected to maintain remote learning techniques for 2 million students statewide.

“We applaud Governor Pritzker‘s bold and compassionate leadership during these difficult times. Closing school buildings for the rest of the year is the right thing to do. As we have seen, no one is immune to COVID-19, and this will ensure the safety of our teachers, staff, students and community,” said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers in a statement.

Friday marked Illinois’ highest spike in coronavirus cases during the pandemic; state officials confirmed 1,864 new cases of the virus.

Pritzker’s stay-at-home order began on March 21, and it officially expires at the end of April. Pritzker said at Thursday’s conference he will address the stay-at-home order sometime “over the next week.”

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