Washington Governor Jay Inslee has banned gatherings of over 250 people in the Seattle area and said he may soon close all schools as precautionary measures to control the spread of coronavirus, Reuters reports.

He did not rule out eventual lockdowns.

The ban targets sports events, concerts, worship services and other events in greater Seattle’s King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties.

Seattle's public schools later announced they would close for at least two weeks to “disrupt widespread infection.”

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