You are reading

Mayor and Schools Chancellor Announce New COVID-19 Case Rule for School Closures

(Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

April 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced sweeping changes to the city’s COVID-19 closure policies for New York City public schools.

The city has doubled the number of coronavirus cases that requires the Department of Education to close a school for 10 days.

Beginning Monday, schools will close for in-person instruction if four or more cases of the coronavirus are detected among students or staff within one week, de Blasio announced Thursday.

The cases must also be found in different classrooms and must have been contracted inside the school.

“Fewer closures mean consistency and stability for students, staff, families and more days in classrooms for New York City’s children,” Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter said at the mayor’s press briefing.

Previously, two unlinked cases among students and staff within one week triggered a 10-day closure of an entire building — which could mean multiple schools within the same building were shuttered. The new rule will close only the school where there are four or more cases were found, not the entire building.

“We’ve seen the studies, consulted with medical experts and based this change on guidance from the CDC,” Porter said. “We’ve heard the voices of our school communities calling for increased stability around in-person learning as long as we can do so safely.”

If a school closes, all students will be switched to remote learning until it reopens in 10 days.

If two or three cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in different classrooms, the city will double the amount of random weekly testing from its baseline of 20 percent of staff and students to 40 percent of staff and students, Porter said.

One confirmed case within a class will still warrant a closure of that individual classroom for 10 days, she added.

Parents with children who are enrolled in full remote learning have until Friday to decide to send their kids back to the classroom for the remainder of the school year. It is the last opportunity for parents to enroll the children in the city’s blended learning model, in which students attend class in-person on some days and remotely on other days.

Parents who wish to enroll their children in the hybrid model can do so by calling 311 or visiting nycenet.edu/surveys/learningpreference.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Advocates urge passage of New York for All Act as Assembly session nears end

Jun. 16, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

As the State Senate concluded its legislative session on Thursday, immigrant rights advocates renewed calls for lawmakers to pass the New York for All Act before the Assembly adjourns on Tuesday, June 17. The proposed legislation, along with several other immigration-related bills, remains pending as the clock winds down on this year’s session.

Queens gun buyback takes 74 firearms off streets, including ghost guns and assault weapons: DA

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday that 74 firearms were taken off the streets at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica during a gun buyback event on Saturday, June 14. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash, with no identification required and no questions asked.

“Gun buybacks serve as a critical tool for reducing gun violence and promoting public safety within our communities,” Katz said. “This Saturday, working with the NYPD and clergy leaders in Jamaica, we received 74 surrendered guns — including five automatic weapons. As a result, these firearms will not be used to cause heartache and tragedy.”

Queens Distance Runners hosts second annual track meet at St. John’s University, spotlighting Olympian and local talent

Jun. 16, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

Dozens of runners gathered at the DaSilva Field Track in St. John’s University for the second annual track meet last month. Hosted by Queens Distance Runners (QDR), a grassroots running organization, the sporting competition welcomed sprinters and distance runners of all skill levels to test their abilities, vying for the podium in track events from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.

Elmhurst bus stop tragedy: Senior killed in freak accident involving Q52 on Friday the 13th

A Middle Village senior was struck and killed by an MTA bus in what officials say was a freak accident at a bus stop in front of Hoffman Park in Elmhurst on Friday the 13th.

Police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst responded to a 911 call of a vehicle accident at the intersection of Hoffman Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard just before 2 p.m., where they found the victim lying on the roadway after he was struck by an MTA Q52 bus. EMS responded to the scene of the collision and rushed the senior to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.