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Coronavirus in N.Y.: Thousands of Students Face Shuttered Schools Coronavirus in N.Y.: Thousands of Students Face Shuttered Schools
(about 2 hours later)
Parents, students and educators across New York on Monday morning grappled with the growing possibility that more schools would need to close in what would be the most disruptive measure yet in the local effort to curb the coronavirus outbreak. As thousands of students in New York learned that their schools would be mostly or entirely shuttered for the entire week, state officials and educators grappled on Monday morning with the possibility that more schools would need to close to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Thousands of students at suburban public schools and private universities discovered Sunday that their schools would be mostly or entirely shuttered for the entire week.
The virus has spread quickly throughout the New York region. On Monday morning, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said 142 cases had been confirmed statewide, including the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton.The virus has spread quickly throughout the New York region. On Monday morning, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said 142 cases had been confirmed statewide, including the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton.
Mr. Cotton, who oversees the region’s airports and other transportation infrastructure and had been visiting Port Authority facilities, was being quarantined, Mr. Cuomo said. His team was also being tested for the virus. Officials said on Monday that they were weighing whether to shut down public schools in and around New Rochelle, which Mr. Cuomo called a “significant hot spot” for the virus, for a number of weeks.
Scarsdale, a suburb in Westchester County, north of New York City, announced that it would close its entire public school district until March 18 after a teacher at its middle school tested positive for the virus. The district said that the affected person was “exhibiting mild illness.” Already, Scarsdale, a New York City suburb in Westchester County, announced that it would close its public school district until March 18 after a teacher at its middle school tested positive for the virus.
Hofstra University on Long Island and Yeshiva University in Manhattan both announced on Sunday that classes would be canceled for the rest of the week. Columbia, Fordham, Hofstra, Princeton and Yeshiva universities all said they would be canceling classes or suspending in-person classes. Several were taking the steps after members of the school had either tested positive or were exhibiting symptoms after being near someone who had tested positive.
A Yeshiva student and two faculty members tested positive for the virus last week, and Hofstra University said that a student had begun exhibiting symptoms after attending a conference where someone had tested positive. That person is awaiting the results of their test.
And Columbia University in Manhattan said on Sunday that it would not hold classes on Monday or Tuesday and would switch to remote learning for the rest of the week, after someone at the school was quarantined after exposure to the virus.
On Monday, Fordham University said it was indefinitely suspending in-person classes on all its campuses after learning that a student was being tested for the virus after showing symptoms. All Fordham classes will be taught online starting Wednesday; the school said it hoped to resume in-person classes by March 30.
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Princeton University in New Jersey announced that it would move its classes online on March 23, after its spring break, for at least two weeks. In a statement, the university’s president, Chris Eisgruber, encouraged students to consider staying home after the break.
As of Monday morning, there were no plans to shutter any of New York City’s 1,800 public schools, and no confirmed cases related to the public schools.As of Monday morning, there were no plans to shutter any of New York City’s 1,800 public schools, and no confirmed cases related to the public schools.
“We would only consider closing any particular school for very specific reas‎ons and for as brief a period of time as possible,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.“We would only consider closing any particular school for very specific reas‎ons and for as brief a period of time as possible,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
“I think parents want to see the schools keep going so long as it’s safe, want to see their kids getting educated,” Mr. de Blasio said in a news conference on Sunday. He said that evidence indicated that coronavirus presented “minimal risk” to healthy children, and said “the schools are not the place we’d be looking first” to mitigate the virus. He said that evidence indicated that coronavirus presented “minimal risk” to healthy children, and said “the schools are not the place we’d be looking first” to mitigate the virus.
Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a state of emergency. On Monday morning, he said 142 cases had been confirmed statewide — 98 in Westchester County and 19 in New York City — and 8 of those patients had been hospitalized. Over the weekend, Governor Cuomo announced a state of emergency. On Monday morning, he said 142 cases had been confirmed statewide — 98 in Westchester County and 19 in New York City — and 8 of those patients had been hospitalized.
Mr. Cuomo also said that if a student in New York tested positive for the virus, their school would be closed for an initial 24 hours while health officials assessed the situation. Get an informed guide to the global outbreak with our daily coronavirus
Both the governor and the mayor said they expected the number of confirmed cases to rise in the coming days as more test results arrived. newsletter.
Mr. Cuomo in particular has criticized the federal government, blaming “mixed messages” from President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for delays in testing that Mr. Cuomo says have kept New York from knowing the full extent of the disease’s spread. Mr. Cotton, who oversees the region’s airports and other transportation infrastructure and had been visiting Port Authority facilities, was being quarantined, Mr. Cuomo said. His team was also being tested for the virus.
Mr. Cotton is one of the most prominent public officials in the United States to have contracted the virus.
The governor also said that the state would soon require that if a student in New York tested positive for the virus, their school would be closed for an initial 24 hours while health officials assessed the situation.
In response to concerns over availability and price gouging, Mr. Cuomo said the state had asked Corcraft, a state entity that uses prison labor to manufacture products, to make hand sanitizer for the state. The state planned to distribute the product to schools, jails and government agencies.
The governor has criticized the federal government, blaming “mixed messages” from President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for delays in testing that Mr. Cuomo says have kept New York from knowing the full extent of the disease’s spread.
Early Monday, President Trump fired back, saying his administration had been consistent in its statements and attacking the governor of New York and his brother.Early Monday, President Trump fired back, saying his administration had been consistent in its statements and attacking the governor of New York and his brother.
“There are no mixed messages, only political weaponization by people like you and your brother, Fredo!” Mr. Trump wrote. The president has sometimes mocked the governor’s brother, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, by referring to him as Fredo Corleone, the most ineffectual of the fictional brothers in the movie “The Godfather.” “There are no mixed messages, only political weaponization by people like you and your brother, Fredo!” Mr. Trump wrote.
The president has sometimes mocked the governor’s brother, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, by referring to him as Fredo Corleone, the most ineffectual of the fictional brothers in the movie “The Godfather.”
Later on Monday, Mr. Cuomo said he had spoken to Mr. Pence about increasing the state’s testing capacity.Later on Monday, Mr. Cuomo said he had spoken to Mr. Pence about increasing the state’s testing capacity.
Long-term closures present enormous challenges for all types of schools.Long-term closures present enormous challenges for all types of schools.
Most schools have not had to rely on distance learning for any significant period of time, and educators are scrambling to figure out how to bring their classes online. While large lecture courses at Columbia can be streamed relatively easily, for example, an official at the school said it would not be so simple to translate other types of classes into an online format.Most schools have not had to rely on distance learning for any significant period of time, and educators are scrambling to figure out how to bring their classes online. While large lecture courses at Columbia can be streamed relatively easily, for example, an official at the school said it would not be so simple to translate other types of classes into an online format.
Last week, New Jersey ordered school districts to develop plans for teaching students at home in the event schools are required to be closed for an extended number of days because of the epidemic. Six cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the state.
In a message to parents, the Scarsdale district said it would spend the next few days determining how to translate its classes to remote learning.In a message to parents, the Scarsdale district said it would spend the next few days determining how to translate its classes to remote learning.
Scarsdale, a largely wealthy community known for its high-performing schools, enrolls about 4,800 students in its seven public schools. Westchester so far has the most confirmed cases — 82 — of any part of the state. .
Schools have also been closed for cleaning in East Ramapo, another district north of New York City, and Somers, a small district in Westchester County. The Shoreham-Wading River Center district on Long Island was closed on Monday following reports that the spouse of a school employee tested positive for the virus, Newsday reported.
Some elite private schools in New York City were closed for part or all of the week: The Brearley School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side announced that it would close all week and reopen after its spring break, which begins next week. A student’s parent is currently being tested for the virus, the New York Post reported. Both campuses of the United Nations International School in Manhattan and Queens were closed on Monday.
Large-scale, extended school closures could wreak havoc on the city’s enormous school system of 1.1 million students, about 750,000 of whom are low-income and many of whom rely on school for meals and medical care.Large-scale, extended school closures could wreak havoc on the city’s enormous school system of 1.1 million students, about 750,000 of whom are low-income and many of whom rely on school for meals and medical care.
Mass closures would present a huge strain for the city’s working families unless essential services are also closed.Mass closures would present a huge strain for the city’s working families unless essential services are also closed.
Several universities around the country have already switched to remote learning in an attempt to control the virus.Several universities around the country have already switched to remote learning in an attempt to control the virus.
At Hofstra University, on Long Island, spring break starts at the end of the week, so school is effectively paused for the next two weeks. Class work will be made up later in the semester, and the school will not use remote learning. Columbia University in Manhattan announced it would not hold classes on Monday or Tuesday and would switch to remote learning for the rest of the week. And Fordham University said it was indefinitely suspending in-person classes on all its campuses. All Fordham classes will be taught online starting Wednesday; the school said it hoped to résumé in-person classes by March 30.
Yeshiva University, said in a statement, that it was preparing “for the contingency of online classes.” In New Jersey, Princeton University announced that it would move its classes online on March 23, after its spring break, for at least two weeks. In a statement, the university’s president, Chris Eisgruber, encouraged students to consider staying home after the break.
At Hofstra University, on Long Island, classes were canceled for the rest of the week and spring break starts at the end of the week, so school is effectively paused for the next two weeks. Class work will be made up later in the semester, and the school will not use remote learning.
Yeshiva University, which also canceled classes for the rest of the week, said in a statement that it was preparing “for the contingency of online classes.”
It was unusually quiet on Monday morning at Columbia, which also starts spring break at the end of the week.It was unusually quiet on Monday morning at Columbia, which also starts spring break at the end of the week.
Robyn Fohouo, 19, a first-year student from Maryland, said she had not changed her routine, even in light of the cancellations.Robyn Fohouo, 19, a first-year student from Maryland, said she had not changed her routine, even in light of the cancellations.
“I’m just going to go about my day,” she said. “Obviously, I am going to stay in my room more often than I usually do but I’m not going to get too in my head about it because that really won’t help me.”“I’m just going to go about my day,” she said. “Obviously, I am going to stay in my room more often than I usually do but I’m not going to get too in my head about it because that really won’t help me.”
Ben Smith and Anjali Tsui contributed reporting. Also on Monday morning, the chief judge for the Southern District of New York — one of the country’s biggest and busiest federal legal regions — issued an order barring a number of people who might have been exposed to the virus from entering any of the district’s courthouses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester County.
The included people who have been contact with anyone who had traveled to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran, as well anyone who had been found to have the coronavirus or been in contact with anyone who has been infected.
Similar restrictions have not been put in place for the Eastern District of New York, which encompasses Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, Eugene Corcoran, the district executive wrote in an email Monday morning.
Luis Ferré-Sadurní contributed reporting from Albany, N.Y., and Alan Feuer, Ben Smith and Anjali Tsui contributed reporting from New York.