New York City’s public school system shut down by coronavirus
City says it will ramp up remote learning for 1.1 million school children
Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a shaky voice, announced late Sunday afternoon that school in New York City is suspended immediately because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
“This is a very troubling moment for me,” the mayor said at a live streamed City Hall press conference.
The mayor had been resisting calls to close the schools for days, but the overwhelming reality of cascading COVID-19 cases and increasingly vehement calls from parents, health officials and teachers forced his hand. Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted the decision just minutes before de Blasio’s scheduled 5 p.m. press conference.