Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that he is against the mass closure of schools across New York over the coronavirus partly because kids dependent on school-food programs might not get fed.
“To do mass closings of schools is not without consequence. Schools also run food programs for many students,” he said in New Rochelle.
“You close schools, now what do you do with those children who are home all day? You close schools, you now have parents who can’t go to work, you have parents who are working in healthcare facilities who can’t go to work, so it’s not that easy.”
Right now, the state Health and Education departments are following a policy that if a child tests positive, the school where they attend must close for a 24-hour period for cleaning.
“During that 24-hour period, we will talk to that local school district, find out the facts and circumstances and make that decision” of whether it should be closed further, Cuomo said.
“Any superintendent can decide to close their schools. Many have. It’s a local decision it’s not a state decision. The only mandate we have is if you have a positive child, you must close for 24 hours, but you have many school districts that are closing for one reason or another,” Cuomo said.
Andrew Cuomo (left)APNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his schools chancellor, Richard Carranza, also favor keeping schools up and running.
But that hasn’t stopped other top officials such as New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson from pushing for the temporary closure of all public schools.
“We need to start making the plans on what that would look like because today’s Friday,” said Johnson on NY1 on Friday morning.
“I think a decision would likely need to be made – if it’s gonna happen for next week – in the next couple of days, in the next 24 to 48 hours, so that parents can start planning along these lines,” the pol and 2021 mayoral candidate insisted.
Two Bronx schools closed Thursday after a student was reported to have the virus — only to later be determined clear.
Friday, two schools on Staten Island shuttered their doors after a child who goes to both locations tested positive.
