New York shutting down 300 public and private schools due to rise in coronavirus cases
Mayor Bill de Blasio holds a press conference on coronavirus rates in New York City.
NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that nonessential businesses and public and private schools will close Wednesday in nine zip codes across Brooklyn and Queens, pending approval from the state.
The neighborhoods include Far Rockaway/Edgemere, Gravesend/Homecrest, Midwood, Bensonhurst/Mapleton, Flatlands/Midwood, Gerritsen Beach/Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay, Kew Gardens, and Kew Gardens Hills/Pomonok.
The move comes in an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus after cases in the areas topped a 3% positivity rate over the past seven days.
“We can stop this from being a ‘second wave’ in New York City,” de Blasio said. “In these communities, it is a very troublesome reality that has to be addressed aggressively.”
De Blasio added that the vast majority of the city has remained steady with low positivity levels and that the actions being taken in Brooklyn and Queens are to protect the entire city.
Within those nine zip codes, the mayor says approximately 100 public and 200 non-public schools would be closed. In addition, indoor dining in those areas will also be impacted.
Students in the identified zip codes would be allowed to return to their schools on Monday and Tuesday to meet with teachers and plan for a school-wide return to remote learning.
In order for these communities to reopen, de Blasio said they have to either meet a positivity rate of less than 3% for the last seven consecutive days after a 14-day pause or less than 3% over a 14-day average at the end of a 28-day pause.