INDIANAPOLIS —Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick has announced that all K-12 schools will have to deliver remote instruction for the remainder of the school year.

The announcement was made Thursday, April 2, during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s press briefing on the virus outbreak.

For K-12 education, schools must complete 160 total instructional days or at least 20 more days of remote learning from April 2 until the end of the school year.

All high school seniors who were on track to graduate before school buildings were closed on March 19 will be provided with the flexibility needed to earn an Indiana high school diploma.

Fred Payne, Indiana Department of Workforce commissioner, also delivered updates on unemployment during the conference.

According to Payne, 146,243 initial unemployment claims were filed last week. Prior to March 2020, the highest number of claims filed in a one-week period was about 28,000. Hoosiers who need to file for unemployment insurance benefits can go to www.unemployment.in.gov.

Holcomb said 84 out of 92 counties have positive COVID-19 cases.

“The spread is continuing and it is not slowing down,” Holcomb said. “Everything that we’re doing is dealing with the facts on the ground as they unfold. We are going to be taking the steps that need to be taken in the state of Indiana. COVID-19 does not distinguish between different groups of people. Every single person is a potential person to move this or spread COVID-19.”

Holcomb said he will provide an update regarding the state’s stay-at-home order during a press conference on Friday, April 3.