New York City will reopen elementary schools on Dec 7 and offer in-person classes for special-needs students of all ages despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday (Nov 29).
With many parents struggling to care for students at home and with data showing the virus largely spares young children, the city dropped a requirement for schools to close if the rate of positive virus tests exceeds three percent for a week.
New York, home to the country’s largest school district, currently has a 3.1 percent rate.
The mayor told reporters the reopening was possible “because we have so much proof now of how safe schools can be.”
He said returning students would be subjected to weekly Covid-19 tests.
The mayor also said on Twitter that five-day in-person instruction, rather than a partly virtual approach, would be the preferred model for schools with space to allow social distancing.
Up to now, in-person schooling has been offered only two or three times a week.
– Source: News websites
