Schools across Northern Ireland are set to close to pupils from Monday due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NI First Minister Arlene Foster has said.
Schools in England, Scotland and Wales will close from Friday.
Ms Foster said the societal and economic impact will be enormous as this closure will be long-term.
Six new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the province on Wednesday, bringing the total number of those affected to 68.
Some schools had already made the decision to close for the rest of the week, and this latest announcement will shut all schools.
Universities have closed and church services and masses have been suspended in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading.
Angry parents had called for closures earlier this week as the number of infected people rose.
Supermarkets included Sainsbury’s and Iceland have already allocated elderly-only hours to keep older shoppers away from crowds.