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“The data shows we’re still very much in the grips of a pandemic here in Massachusetts,” he said. “Right now, the Commonwealth is still in the surge.”

He said remote learning would continue in all districts.

He emphasized that Tuesday’s announcement “does not mean it’s time to start summer vacation early.”

Baker also said state officials are making plans for expanding remote learning opportunities for students. And he said the state education department would also prepare for summer learning “to ensure a strong start for all students in the fall.”

Jeffrey C. Riley, the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, echoed Baker’s comments on remote learning. “We want to minimize learning loss as much as possible,” Riley said. “I hope everyone will continue to work with their students to do the best they can on remote learning.”

Baker also said all non-emergency child care programs would remain closed until June 29, though programs for the children of health care workers, first responders, and other essential workers would continue.

“We know that the lack of child care for many families has created an unanticipated burden and it’s hard to look after young children and balance the demands of working at home … but maintaining this structure is the best way to keep our kids and our providers safe from the spread of this insidious disease,” he said.

Baker has also ordered all non-essential businesses closed until May 4. Asked if he would extend that order, too, he said, “I do think that what happens next is going to be more about guidelines and rules and regulations” that will allow businesses to “operate safely because that’s got to be the measure going forward.”

In other developments at Baker’s State House briefing on the coronavirus:

– Baker, a moderate Republican, said he disagreed with Republican President Donald Trump’s plan to suspend all immigration to the United States due to the coronavirus. Baker said, “I am opposed to the order. It doesn’t make any sense and I don’t’ think it makes us any safer.”

– Baker announced that the state of New York, which appears to be past the peak of its surge, would be sending the state 400 ventilators.

– Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito announced that the state is suspending repayment of loans for four months for about 12,000 student borrowers enrolled in the state’s non-interest student loan program. “Our hope is that these deferments will help some students as they navigate the many challenges this pandemic has created,” she said.

– Baker noted that hospitals are seeing a decrease in visits from people for heart disease, cancer treatments, and kidney dialysis, and urged people to seek care if they need it. He urged people to “please use the system,” saying that state officials had worked hard to make sure that there would be room for both coronavirus patients and patients who need help for other serious conditions.

Baker said he knew cooped-up residents are eager to know whether things will return to normal soon.

But he warned that “doing it wrong could create more hardship for everyone in the long run.”

In the meantime, he said, “People need to dig deep and stay put. … We will come out the other side of it stronger than ever.”

Schools and day care centers in Massachusetts have been closed by state order since mid-March in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. On March 25, Baker extended the initial closures to last through May 4.

Riley said teachers and administrators wanted to reopen schools this year if it was possible.

“They miss the kids. They love what they do,” he said. “But the data didn’t support it.”

He stressed that “remote learning is not synonymous with online learning.” He added that options in lieu of wireless access include “project-based learning” and work packets.

Riley said officials have been examining how schools have gone about reopening in other countries, where steps have included checking students’ temperatures, keeping desks six feet apart, and staggering schedules.

A number of statewide organizations, such as the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, had been urging Baker to call off the rest of the school year.

Thomas Scott, executive director of the superintendent’s association, said in an interview Tuesday morning many school district leaders felt they needed more time to prepare for a reopening of school as the pandemic wanes, which likely will require schools to practice social distancing. That raises big questions, he said, about how to handle daily school activities that generally draw large number of students, such as recess and lunch, and could even cause districts to reduce class sizes – a move that could challenge schools already tight on space.

“We need to take a breather and do some long-term planning,” he said. “We are not going to come back under normal conditions.”

Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said she supported Baker’s decision to keep schools physically closed while continuing to have districts offer remote learning to students.

“BPS remains committed to providing equitable and meaningful learning opportunities for our students and has been developing plans to expand and improve upon our ongoing remote learning efforts,” Cassellius said in a statement. “Nothing is more important to us than our students, and we will remain unwavering in our efforts to ensure they get what they need for their health, safety, and continued learning.”

Daily life around the world has been disrupted as governments have shut down schools and businesses, and asked or ordered people to stay at home, in an effort to stem the spread of the virus. The world economy has been grinding to a halt.

The global pandemic has sickened more than 2.5 million people and killed more than 171,000. In the United States, more than 788,000 people have been sickened and more than 42,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Massachusetts is in the midst of a surge of severely ill patients. The death toll stood at 1,809 as of Monday. A highly cited University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model, which earlier had predicted higher numbers, now projects deaths will total over 3,200.

Officials increasingly are optimistic, however, that the surge, while deadly, will not overwhelm the state’s hospitals.

The virus can cause mild to severe illness. Older adults and people with serious underlying conditions are most at risk for severe illness and death, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Bianca Vázquez Toness can be reached at bianca.toness@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @biancavtoness. Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattpstout James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globevaznis.