As coronavirus cases swell in New York City neighborhoods as well as its schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged Wednesday to add more staffing and resources, if needed, for its “situation room” rapid response team after the holiday break.
The city is conducting weekly random COVID-19 testing in the school buildings that are open for children in grades pre-K through five, as well as those with significant disabilities in District 75. A single positive case can trigger a two-week closure of individual classrooms while two or more can shutter an entire building for 24 hours, or two weeks if an investigation shows the cases are unrelated.
“As schools came back recently, we certainly saw the challenges of the second wave and more cases,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to make sure that any additional personnel the situation room needs or any additional training, whatever the need for folks, we’re going to make sure we keep up with the challenge.”
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