Coronavirus Outbreak Leads Indiana Governor Holcomb Close Schools Through May 1

INDIANAPOLIS (CBS) – All Indiana schools will remain closed through at least May 1, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced in the latest step to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The governor indicated that he may have to extend that date, but will make that decision later.

Holcomb also said all state testing set to be given later this spring will be canceled.

In a statement, the Indiana Department of Education said:

This mandated closure follows recent Centers for Disease Control guidelines to limit gatherings to less than 10, and may be extended through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Schools utilizing eLearning can continue to do so as determined by their local school administrators and school boards.

About 50 percent of school districts in the state have "one device, one student" capacity, officials said.  The state is working with school districts to find ways to continue or expand eLearning. They did not rule out the possibility that some districts may have to simply "close their doors."