All Seattle Public Schools will close for two weeks after the first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in a Washington state school was reported Tuesday, forcing the Aki Kurose Middle School to close indefinitely. The closure of the state’s largest school district came as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee officially banned gatherings of over 250 people in several Washington counties including King County, which encompasses Seattle. “The decision to close the district was extremely difficult. We know that closing our schools will impact our most vulnerable families and we recognize that working families depend on the consistency and predictability of supports and services our schools offer,” an email from the district’s public affairs office to parents said. While children are not believed to be as susceptible to COVID-19 as adults or those with underlying health conditions, parents and teachers in Washington had become increasingly panicked by the rapid spread of the flu-like virus. Students and staff at Franklin High School called in sick or walked out on Wednesday morning in protest after a staff member was reportedly exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case. The district said it disinfected several schools overnight after possible exposure. There have been at least 273 confirmed cases and 20 deaths in Washington state, including 19 deaths linked to one suburban Seattle nursing home.