DAYTON, Ohio (WJW) — During a Sunday morning interview with CNN, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said it is possible schools may be closed for the rest of the academic year.

On Thursday, DeWine ordered that all schools take an extended three-week spring break effective Monday at the end of the school day.

During Sunday’s interview, DeWine was asked if he believed schools could remain closed for the rest of the year.

“Absolutely,” DeWine responded. “Look, the projections — and again, this is all projections, I’m just going by what medical experts are telling us. You know, this may not peak until the latter part of April or May. So we’ve informed the superintendents, while we’ve closed schools for three weeks, that the odds are this is going to go on a lot longer and it would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this year.”

DeWine also explained that while students may not be as hard hit by the virus as older adults, they can act as carriers and infect the more vulnerable Ohioans — those over 60 or with underlying health conditions. The school closure move was intended to limit community spread in the classroom.

Earlier this week, according to CNN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that short-term school closures of three weeks would not be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Instead, CDC officials recommended closures of eight weeks or more.