[ad_1]
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said schools are some of the safest places in the city, as he explains his decision to reopen public elementary schools and resume classes in person.
“When we established that 3% [infection rate threshold,] we didn’t have the information we have now, “he told CNN. “But now is the time to do something different.”
“That 3% standard, after having so much experience with schools, proved to be different than we thought it would be,” he added, and said the model should be more sustainable until there is a vaccine against the coronavirus. “We decided that we need a lot more tests and to achieve this [available] in all schools. “
Students in 3K, Pre-K, and grades K-5 can resume classes in person on December 7 and the city will address when middle and high school students can return to classes in person in the future.
There will be weekly testing at each school, and students will need to be tested and obtain a consent form to come, de Blasio said of the reopening directives implemented.
Current testing capacity only allows the city to return elementary school students. Over time, the city will also bring back middle and high school students, de Blasio said.
In the event that a student tests positive for Covid-19, the entire classroom will be quarantined, he added.
“[If] there are several cases at the school, there is a careful investigation to determine whether the school only needs a temporary closure or a full two-week quarantine, “he said Monday.” That has worked and has allowed us to keep the vast majority of our schools open the vast majority of the time. But it has also given us the ability to identify when there is a problem and address it quickly through our body of evidence and tracing. “
See more:
