UPDATE: NYC schools will be closed on Thursday, Nov 19. Chancellor Richard A. Carranza has sent an email to principals of NYC schools about the switch to remote learning. Miranda Barbot, press secretary for the NYC DOE, has confirmed the closure with Time Out New York Kids. Mayor Bill de Blasio has confirmed in a tweet that NYC reached the 3 percent threshold needed to shut down schools.
New York City has reached the 3% testing positivity 7-day average threshold. Unfortunately, this means public school buildings will be closed as of tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 19, out an abundance of caution.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 18, 2020
We must fight back the second wave of COVID-19.
For answers to your school-related Q's, click here.
New Yorkers are fighting back against the possibility of a second wave.
Late last week, the test positivity seven-day average was as high as 2.82 percent. This raised red flags, as NYC schools are forced to close should the numbers reach 3 percent. Although the NYC DOE was preparing for a possible shutdown as early as Monday, Nov 16, the mayor revealed that schools will remain open this week.
Today’s indicators are similar to yesterday:
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 15, 2020
• 117 patients admitted to the hospital
• 937 new cases
• The test positivity 7-day average is 2.57%
Thankfully, schools will remain open on Monday, but we have to keep fighting back with everything we’ve got.
According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, schools will not switch to a fully remote curriculum on Monday. The test positivity seven-day average was 2.47 percent on Saturday and 2.57 on Sunday. However, this decision does not mean New Yorkers are out of the woods. Everyone is still asked to follow health and safety guidelines, such as wearing a mask and social distancing. Governor Andrew Cuomo's new curfew stating that restaurants, bars and gyms must close at 10pm has gone into effect. And officials are strongly discouraging holiday travel.
Stay safe, New Yorkers. Health tips are available on the NYC website. If you're looking for ways to stay busy while staying in, visit our Time In page for suggestions.
Most popular on Time Out
- The best fall activities for kids in NYC
- Skate reservations opened for Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
- New York Botanical Garden will ring in the holidays with a new light experience
- NYC DOE reveals a new grading system for the 2020-2021 school year
- Macy’s Santaland is making some changes for its 2020 celebration
Get us in your inbox! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from NYC and beyond.