Coronavirus: New York Schools To Remain Closed Until September

New York’s mayor says the city’s schools will stay shut until September as the city battles the deadly coronavirus outbreak which has so far killed more than 8,000 of its residents.

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year.

He said: “Having to tell you that we cannot bring our schools back for the remainder of this school year is painful, but I can also tell you it is the right thing to do.”

De Blasio had ordered public schools to shut on March 16, with an initial goal of reopening them by April 20. But the mayor said it soon became clear that goal was unrealistic as the city emerged as a major US coronavirus hotspot.

A few hours later, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed back on the mayor’s announcement, saying there had been no decision on school closures.

Cuomo said de Blasio could not unilaterally close New York City’s schools without coordinating with the rest of the metropolitan area, and insisted the decision to reopen New York schools rested with him.

“It is my legal authority in this situation,” the governor said in response to a reporter’s question about whether closing schools in New York City fell under his authority over the city’s mayor.

Photo Credit: Getty

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