The city of New York will reopen elementary schools and offer face-to-face classes for students with special needs of all ages from December 7 despite the recent increase in coronavirus casesthe mayor announced on Sunday Bill de Blasio, under pressure from parents.
The mayor announced the abandonment of the order that stipulated the closure of all schools if the positive test rate exceeds 3% for seven days in a row, as cases increase in New York – the largest school district in the country – and the current rate is 3.1 percent.
“Now we have a lot of proof of how safe schools can be,” De Blasio said at a press conference, saying that all students who return to class will be subjected to Covid-19 test weekly instead of monthly.
“When possible we will move towards in-person learning five days a week” for these students, he also indicated on his Twitter account.
Until now, face-to-face classes have only been offered two or three times a week.
“We want our kids as much time as possible in the classroom. Our families love it too. We will work to make that happen,” said the Democratic mayor.
Better in school
“The reopening of schools in New York City is the right direction and the right decision,” said the governor. Andrew Cuomo in a press conference call.
“Literally all over the world, organization officials, European and American experts, all say that if the infection rate in schools is under control, and it is below the level of the community, it is better that children are in school” he added.
Classes for students who are not in elementary school or have special needs will remain 100% remote.
New York canceled all face-to-face classes on November 19, amidst a second hello from Covid-19, because the city reached the positive test threshold of 3% agreed with the teachers union to decree a closure.
The decision angered thousands of parents who protested in front of the city hall because bars and restaurants remain open, while schools are closed. They also pointed to the example of Europe, where schools have remained open despite the pandemic.
Parents argue that the rate of positive tests in schools is much lower than in the rest of the city, and that the closure punishes the most disadvantaged children – such as the 60,000 who do not have a computer – and mothers who work.
Anthony Fauci, director of the governmental National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Sunday of a sharp increase in the contagion curve after Thanksgiving, and recommended that “bars close and schools remain open.”
New York schools closed for the first time on March 16, when the city became the national epicenter of the pandemic that has killed more than 24,200, through the end of the school year in June.
After the summer, in September, New York was the only major American city to partially reopen schools for face-to-face classes, albeit a month late in installing security measures negotiated with the teachers’ union.
However, of the 1.1 million students only 300,000 agreed to attend face-to-face classes, and the rest opted for a 100% remote model.
–
–
