Calif. schools unlikely to reopen before summer

California schools should plan on teaching from afar for the rest of the academic year because it's unlikely the coronavirus will allow them to reopen before summer, according to the state schools superintendent.

It follows Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's prediction last month that schools wouldn't reopen this academic year.

"It seems, I think, self-evident that we should not prepare to bring our children back in to the school setting," Newsom said Wednesday during a news conference.

Virginia, Kansas and Arizona already closed schools for the rest of the year. California, the nation's most populous state, has more than 6 million students across 10,000 schools.

Californians are under a statewide stay-at-home order that requires most people to stay inside except for essential activities such as grocery shopping or going for a walk.

Newsom also gave updated guidance on wearing surgical masks, saying that they "are not a substitute for physical distancing."

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.