ADVERTISEMENT

Cuomo Says No Decision Yet on Timetable for NYC Schools

NYC Schools Will Be Closed for Rest of Academic Year, Mayor Says

(Bloomberg) --

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there hasn’t been a decision on whether to close New York City schools for the rest of the academic year, contradicting earlier comments by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“He didn’t close them, and he can’t open them,” Cuomo said at a press briefing in Albany. “That’s the mayor’s opinion. There has been no decision on the schools.”

New York counties will make a coordinated decision on when to reopen, Cuomo said. “Ideally, it’s uniform with Connecticut and New Jersey.”

New York is the epicenter of the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the U.S. The state has more than 170,000 cases, and New York City has more than half of those infections. As of April 10, the city had 94,409 cases and 5,429 deaths.

Though there are signs that the outbreak is slowing, the city will remain in “widespread community transmission” well into May and possibly longer, de Blasio said at a press conference in New York City. Even if the spread slows, many social distancing elements must continue to prevent a resurgence of the virus and that includes keeping schools closed, he said.

The plan to continue remote learning will include: making sure all students have Internet-enabled digital devices by the end of April; expanding a parent helpline and technical support, new online activities and programs; ensuring eligible seniors can graduate on time; and forming a plan to reopen in September and “combat learning loss.”

The decision was difficult and “painful,” de Blasio said. “It clearly will help us save lives.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.