ALL CALIFORNIA public schools will be closed through the end of the academic year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today (Wednesday).

School’s out.

At least the kind of school where you sit in a classroom in front of a teacher.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday confirmed what State Superintendant of Education Tony Thurmond predicted the day before: that all public schools in California will be closed through the end of the academic year because of the coronavirus outbreak.

However, “distance learning” from home via computer could continue.

Newsom announced at a news conference that a partnership had been reached to provide 100,000 “access points” and thousands of Chromebook laptop computers for those students without computers or broadband internet service in their homes.

The news had already started to ripple through the Orange County area. The Huntington Beach Union High School District announced on its website it will inform parents and employees on Thursday about the closures of HBUSD campuses through June. The Ocean View School District is also making plans to comply with the governor’s order.

Note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Coronavirus confirmed count tops 932k

The worldwide count of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed to 932,605 by today (Wednesday), with the United States having nearly twice as many cases as the second-most affected state.

Johns Hopkins University reported that the United States had 213,372 cases, with Italy next with 110,574 and Spain at 104,118. China, where the outbreak originated, reported 82,361 cases.

Wednesday’s total is almost 100,000 more than the day before. At that rate, the count will likely pass 1 million this week.

Some observers have suggested that China’s statistics may not be accurate because of political considerations.

The total number of deaths worldwide is at 46,809. Italy has the most with 13,155, followed by Spain with 9,387 and France with 4,032. The U.S. is not among the leaders in fatalities, but over 1600 fatalities are reported in the New York City-New Jersey area.

Wimbledon tennis event cancelled

The Wimbledon tennis championships, the oldest and perhaps most prestigious major event of its sport, was cancelled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The All-England tournament was scheduled to begin on June 29. It’s the first time the “grand slam” event was called off since World War II. The 134th version will be staged for June 28 to July 11, 2021.

Great Britain has seen a sharp spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in recent days and the government has been moving to implement “stay-at-home” and social distancing measures.