New York’s public elementary schools will reopen on December 7, as will schools for children with learning disabilities, despite a new spike in Covid-19 cases, city mayor Bill de Blasio.
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Many parents having difficulty reconciling their employment and the education of their young children during the pandemic, the municipality has given up demanding the closure of primary schools as long as the positivity rate of the Covid-19 tests does not remain below 3 % during one week.
The percentage of positive tests in New York is currently 3.1%.
The reopening of schools is possible “because we have a lot of evidence that schools are very safe,” de Blasio said during a press conference.
Students will be tested on a weekly basis, the Democratic mayor added, adding that teaching in person five days a week is best for schools large enough to allow physical distancing.
Until now, in-person teaching had only been permitted two or three days a week.
“We want our children to go to school as much as possible,” continued the Democratic mayor of New York. “This is also what our families want”.
Public secondary schools will remain closed, apart from those intended for children with learning difficulties.
“This is the way to go and the best decision,” New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo commented at a press conference.
“It disturbs the students less, the family less, the students can follow the lessons and the schools are safer than the neighborhood,” he added.
While most private schools remained open, Mr. de Blasio had decided to close New York’s public schools from November 19, citing a Covid-19 positivity rate of 3%.
This measure immediately sparked controversy, with a petition calling for their continued openness and demonstrations in front of the town hall.
Some 1.1 million students attend public schools in New York City, the country’s largest school district.
But less than a third of them – around 300,000 – returned to face-to-face school in September, with many parents choosing the 100% online option for fear of the virus.
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