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The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, decreed on Wednesday (18) the closure of public schools to contain a new advance of the coronavirus epidemic in the city. The measure now comes into force as of Thursday (19).
“In the last week, about 3% of tests for Covid-19 in New York City were positive,” de Blasio said on a social network. “Unfortunately, this means that public schools will be closed starting tomorrow, Thursday, November 19, as a sign of excessive caution.”
Public systems classes will continue to be offered remotely. At a news conference, de Blasio said schools will also be closed during the Thanksgiving break, in late November.
New York public school students will receive tablets so they can follow classes, which began just over two months ago. In the United States, unlike in Brazil, the school year begins in September, after the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and ends in June.
Student photographed outside of high school in Brooklyn, New York. Photo from October 2020.- Photo: Kathy Willens / AP
The mayor also said that the New York government is prepared to “fight a second wave of Covid-19.” Last week, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo had already decreed the early closure of restaurants, bars and gyms across the region.
Cuomo also said that private gatherings, with more than 10 people, are prohibited. He said the restrictions are necessary because new coronavirus infections have been associated with these types of activities.
New York City was already identified as the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, late in the first half of this year. The United States is the country most affected by the disease worldwide, with more than 11.4 million cases and 249.4 thousand deaths.
