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What N.Y.C. Schools Will Look Like in September What N.Y.C. Schools Will Look Like in September
(5 days later)
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It’s Thursday.It’s Thursday.
Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high around 90.Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high around 90.
Alternate-side parking: Suspended through Sunday. Read about the new amended regulations here.Alternate-side parking: Suspended through Sunday. Read about the new amended regulations here.
New York City students, parents and educators finally have some clarity over what schooling may look like come September.New York City students, parents and educators finally have some clarity over what schooling may look like come September.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that public schools would not fully reopen in the fall and that the city would continue remote learning for the system’s 1.1 million children. Students will be expected to be in classrooms only one to three days per week, he said, so that the schools can try to maintain social distancing.Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that public schools would not fully reopen in the fall and that the city would continue remote learning for the system’s 1.1 million children. Students will be expected to be in classrooms only one to three days per week, he said, so that the schools can try to maintain social distancing.
Families that do not wish students to return to school in person will be able choose full-time remote learning.Families that do not wish students to return to school in person will be able choose full-time remote learning.
[Read more about the plan for reopening schools in nation’s largest public school system.][Read more about the plan for reopening schools in nation’s largest public school system.]
Here are some other takeaways from the mayor’s announcement.Here are some other takeaways from the mayor’s announcement.
School districts nationwide are grappling with what student life will look like in the fall; many have already announced tentative plans. My colleagues Eliza Shapiro and Dana Goldstein, who are education reporters, wrote last month that in many large cities, students would most likely go to school in person only a few times per week.School districts nationwide are grappling with what student life will look like in the fall; many have already announced tentative plans. My colleagues Eliza Shapiro and Dana Goldstein, who are education reporters, wrote last month that in many large cities, students would most likely go to school in person only a few times per week.
The decisions have drawn widespread attention, including from President Trump, who threatened on Wednesday to cut off federal funding to school districts that do not fully reopen in person.The decisions have drawn widespread attention, including from President Trump, who threatened on Wednesday to cut off federal funding to school districts that do not fully reopen in person.
Educators and public health experts have also joined the debate. Many of them view online learning as a poor substitute for the classroom, particularly for students with disabilities and younger children.Educators and public health experts have also joined the debate. Many of them view online learning as a poor substitute for the classroom, particularly for students with disabilities and younger children.
I asked Ms. Shapiro what questions remain about fall schooling. One of the biggest, she said, is how working families will plan child care on days when students are not in classrooms, and how the city might find alternative spaces where children can learn.I asked Ms. Shapiro what questions remain about fall schooling. One of the biggest, she said, is how working families will plan child care on days when students are not in classrooms, and how the city might find alternative spaces where children can learn.
After the pandemic effectively shut down the city in March, many of the school system’s primarily low-income parents have struggled to navigate their jobs from home or as essential workers, Ms. Shapiro said. Continued in-home, remote learning could prevent many parents of younger children from fully returning to work and undermine the recovery of the city’s struggling economy.After the pandemic effectively shut down the city in March, many of the school system’s primarily low-income parents have struggled to navigate their jobs from home or as essential workers, Ms. Shapiro said. Continued in-home, remote learning could prevent many parents of younger children from fully returning to work and undermine the recovery of the city’s struggling economy.
“Can the city get creative with finding even outdoor space for them to do remote learning, or different public spaces or private spaces like empty office buildings?” she said. “People are thinking through every kind of physical space we have in the city to accommodate those kids.”“Can the city get creative with finding even outdoor space for them to do remote learning, or different public spaces or private spaces like empty office buildings?” she said. “People are thinking through every kind of physical space we have in the city to accommodate those kids.”
Mr. de Blasio outlined various models for a fall return on Wednesday, but Ms. Shapiro said the plans could change significantly over the next couple of months.Mr. de Blasio outlined various models for a fall return on Wednesday, but Ms. Shapiro said the plans could change significantly over the next couple of months.
The city’s control of the coronavirus and the number of families who opt for full-time remote learning, for example, could alter options for a return.The city’s control of the coronavirus and the number of families who opt for full-time remote learning, for example, could alter options for a return.
State Attorney General Calls for Stripping N.Y.P.D. Control From MayorState Attorney General Calls for Stripping N.Y.P.D. Control From Mayor
68% Have Antibodies in This Neighborhood. Can It Hold Off a Next Wave?68% Have Antibodies in This Neighborhood. Can It Hold Off a Next Wave?
New York as a Biking City? It Could Happen. And It Should.New York as a Biking City? It Could Happen. And It Should.
Graffiti Is Back in Virus-Worn New YorkGraffiti Is Back in Virus-Worn New York
Does Cuomo Share Blame for 6,200 Virus Deaths in N.Y. Nursing Homes?Does Cuomo Share Blame for 6,200 Virus Deaths in N.Y. Nursing Homes?
Want more news? Check out our full coverage.Want more news? Check out our full coverage.
The Mini Crossword: Here is today’s puzzle.The Mini Crossword: Here is today’s puzzle.
A City Council member from Staten Island is calling for an end to the popular West Indian Parade in Brooklyn. [amNY]A City Council member from Staten Island is calling for an end to the popular West Indian Parade in Brooklyn. [amNY]
A five-story building partly collapsed in Murray Hill. [Gothamist]A five-story building partly collapsed in Murray Hill. [Gothamist]
Syracuse University wants to test students for Covid-19 by pooling their saliva. [Syracuse.com]Syracuse University wants to test students for Covid-19 by pooling their saliva. [Syracuse.com]
The Times’s Amanda Rosa writes:The Times’s Amanda Rosa writes:
Lonely refrigerators sit on sidewalks throughout the city, from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Astoria to Harlem. They’re not trash.Lonely refrigerators sit on sidewalks throughout the city, from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Astoria to Harlem. They’re not trash.
Painted in bright yellows, purples, oranges and blues, they often have “Free Food” written in bubble letters across the front of their freezers, with the same in Spanish, “Comida Gratis,” on their sides.Painted in bright yellows, purples, oranges and blues, they often have “Free Food” written in bubble letters across the front of their freezers, with the same in Spanish, “Comida Gratis,” on their sides.
Selma Raven is one of many New Yorkers making good on that promise. She doesn’t ask prodding questions of those who visit the fridge that she tends. She sometimes chats as she disinfects the unit, which is plugged into an outlet inside of a restaurant, and stocks it with fresh produce and ready-made meals.Selma Raven is one of many New Yorkers making good on that promise. She doesn’t ask prodding questions of those who visit the fridge that she tends. She sometimes chats as she disinfects the unit, which is plugged into an outlet inside of a restaurant, and stocks it with fresh produce and ready-made meals.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
“We don’t know everyone’s story,” Ms. Raven, who set up the fridge in the Fieldston neighborhood in the Bronx, said. “We’re really just trusting them.”“We don’t know everyone’s story,” Ms. Raven, who set up the fridge in the Fieldston neighborhood in the Bronx, said. “We’re really just trusting them.”
[Read more about why Ms. Raven brought a community fridge to the Bronx.][Read more about why Ms. Raven brought a community fridge to the Bronx.]
Community-ledrefrigerators with free food, sometimes called “friendly fridges,” have been popping up on sidewalks since February. When the coronavirus pandemic halted the city’s economy, many New Yorkers — about one in every four of whom are food insecure — struggled to fill their own refrigerators.Community-ledrefrigerators with free food, sometimes called “friendly fridges,” have been popping up on sidewalks since February. When the coronavirus pandemic halted the city’s economy, many New Yorkers — about one in every four of whom are food insecure — struggled to fill their own refrigerators.
Enter community refrigerators, where everyone is welcome to take whatever they want and leave behind food they don’t need. A network of residents collaborating with In Our Hearts, an activist group, has set up and maintained at least 14 throughout the city. The goals are simple: Reduce food waste and feed the community.Enter community refrigerators, where everyone is welcome to take whatever they want and leave behind food they don’t need. A network of residents collaborating with In Our Hearts, an activist group, has set up and maintained at least 14 throughout the city. The goals are simple: Reduce food waste and feed the community.
In the Fordham Manor neighborhood in the Bronx, some residents were surprised when a friendly fridge showed up. Last month, when Chez Jean, a founder of Sovereign Earth Cares, first started stocking the refrigerator, a group of young men were confused. People don’t usually help this neighborhood, the men said.In the Fordham Manor neighborhood in the Bronx, some residents were surprised when a friendly fridge showed up. Last month, when Chez Jean, a founder of Sovereign Earth Cares, first started stocking the refrigerator, a group of young men were confused. People don’t usually help this neighborhood, the men said.
“Why are you doing this?” Jean recalled the men asking.“Why are you doing this?” Jean recalled the men asking.
Jean, who knows what it’s like to be food insecure, responded, “Because I care.”Jean, who knows what it’s like to be food insecure, responded, “Because I care.”
It’s Thursday — help out your neighbors.It’s Thursday — help out your neighbors.
Dear Diary:Dear Diary:
“You again?” the ticket seller at the Cloisters said.“You again?” the ticket seller at the Cloisters said.
I smiled.I smiled.
It was my first year of college. As part of my effort to adjust to New York City, I had started to retreat to the Cloisters whenever I felt stressed out. Since it happened pretty much all the time, I was heading to Inwood almost every week.It was my first year of college. As part of my effort to adjust to New York City, I had started to retreat to the Cloisters whenever I felt stressed out. Since it happened pretty much all the time, I was heading to Inwood almost every week.
I loved taking the elevator from the grimy subway station up to the street and then walking through Fort Tryon Park, with the Cloisters appearing like a hidden castle out of the trees.I loved taking the elevator from the grimy subway station up to the street and then walking through Fort Tryon Park, with the Cloisters appearing like a hidden castle out of the trees.
When I got to the museum, I always seemed to get my student ticket from the same woman. By this point in the semester, she had started to print my ticket before I even got to the desk.When I got to the museum, I always seemed to get my student ticket from the same woman. By this point in the semester, she had started to print my ticket before I even got to the desk.
Normally, she didn’t do more than nod in response to my hello. Not this time.Normally, she didn’t do more than nod in response to my hello. Not this time.
“Are you studying art or history?” she asked. “You’re here all the time.”“Are you studying art or history?” she asked. “You’re here all the time.”
“Well, I was raised Catholic, so I love the religious art,” I said, shrugging. “But I’m really here because I feel calmer among the peace and quiet. New York is draining. I love coming to the Cloisters to sit and think away from the constant honking and shouting of the city.”“Well, I was raised Catholic, so I love the religious art,” I said, shrugging. “But I’m really here because I feel calmer among the peace and quiet. New York is draining. I love coming to the Cloisters to sit and think away from the constant honking and shouting of the city.”
She raised an eyebrow.She raised an eyebrow.
“It sounds like New York isn’t for you,” she said. “Have you considered a nunnery?”“It sounds like New York isn’t for you,” she said. “Have you considered a nunnery?”
— Maeve Flaherty— Maeve Flaherty
New York Today is published weekdays around 6 a.m. Sign up here to get it by email. You can also find it at nytoday.com.New York Today is published weekdays around 6 a.m. Sign up here to get it by email. You can also find it at nytoday.com.
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