“One of the things that’s been very clear is folks wanted school to keep moving forward and be open so long as it could be done safely,” De Blasio said at a press conference.
“A lot of people have been saying, rightfully, a lot of parents, we’ve heard your voices loud and clear: you wanted schools back open, but we’re going to ask everyone to be a part of that, everyone to participate to make it work,” the mayor said, noting that testing consent forms will be required for students. Under the new guidelines, 20 percent of every student body be tested on a weekly basis. Students were previously tested for the virus monthly.
De Blasio said he wants in-person schooling to happen “as much as possible,” adding that the release of a vaccine will lead to more schools reopening.
De Blasio’s partial reversal on school closures has been celebrated on social media, especially by those who have been critical of the mayor’s approach to battling the pandemic, though some have questioned the quick reversal and wondered whether it means De Blasio could flip-flop more on the issue.
“The school openings in NYC is a huge win for those that shouted and shamed @NYCMayor to finally do what was best for our kids,” Fox News meteorologist and author Janice Dean tweeted.
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