New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday that New York public schools “can and should” be kept open since they were partially reopened earlier this month – announcing that recent tests showed only 0.68 % positivity for coronavirus in schools.
De Blasio said that between 7 and 23 December, about 100,000 tests were done by students and staff, and the rate was 0.68%.
“See the incredible success we have had in our schools, keeping them safe,” said Hizzoner. “Clearly New York’s public schools are one of the safest places to be in all of New York City.”
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The Big Apple has struggled to fully open its schools, partially opening them at the beginning of the school year to allow a few days a week of face-to-face learning for students.
Then it closed them again in November amid an increase in cases in the city, before reopening partially in December, after significant pressure from parents. Although the opening of the city is significantly less than that opened in Europe and other parts of America, where schools have opened in full, it is a success compared to a number of large cities that have followed a 100% remote teaching schedule.
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However, both Blasio and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned that a new closure could occur within a few days amid statistics above New York’s desired metrics, raising questions about whether schools could be closed again.
De Blasio said it would be up to Albany, but believes that schools can be kept open.
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“I am confident that we can and should keep them open, but again the state will make the final decision based on state data and standards,” he said.
Indicators on Tuesday suggested that a shutdown was still a possibility. The city had 182 new hospitalizations, below its 200 metric, but its 3,390 positive or suspected cases and a positive rate of 7.45 percent (on an average of seven days) are above the city limits.