NEW YORK – The surge in COVID-19 cases at a New York City elementary school has forced the school to become the second public school this academic year to briefly return to remote learning.
The 10-day physical closure of PS 166 this Wednesday in Queens comes as the city intensifies efforts to get newly eligible children ages 5 to 11 to receive the vaccine, and City Hall is ready to vote on a project of law that would require the Department of Education (DOE) to report exact numbers for school attendance, immunizations, test consent, and quarantine data.
As of November 2, PS 166 reported that 19 students and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, totaling 34 cases this school year. The DOE’s daily COVID case map shows that nearly half of the school’s 58 classrooms were in danger of closure, but the department allowed them to remain open during the investigation of the cases.
“New York City schools have the gold standard for health and safety, with all school personnel vaccinated and an incredibly low positivity rate of 0.19 percent. This is the first school closure since September, but we are ready to support all students at PS 166. Students have a device so they can participate in remote live learning, and we are working closely with the school community, “said a department spokesperson in a release.
The investigation led the DOE to close classrooms beginning Wednesday, the same day a vaccination drive was scheduled there, and will reopen on November 22. The vaccination site will be rescheduled when students return to class, authorities said.
Currently, 126 classrooms out of 65,000 across the five boroughs are under quarantine, the DOE added.
Since New York began vaccinating younger children last week, nearly 25,000 students have been vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. That number is expected to continue to rise as vaccination drives are rolled out in public schools this week.
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