New York Metropolis will double COVID-19 PCR testing in colleges when college students return in January, Mayor Invoice de Blasio stated.
De Blasio, Mayor-elect Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul all spoke on Tuesday at a virus briefing of the significance of bringing college students again to highschool in January, for youths and for folks. Colleges are the “most secure locations to be in New York Metropolis,” de Blasio stated.
“Your kids are safer at school,” Adams stated in the course of the briefing. He and de Blasio stated they’ve been working carefully planning for Jan. 3, when colleges will reopen.
The brand new method for colleges in January is named “keep secure and keep open,” the mayor stated. Below his plan, town plans to distribute at-home testing kits to school rooms when a pupil assessments constructive. All college students who’re asymptomatic and take a look at unfavourable will have the ability to return to varsities. College students will take two at-home assessments over the course of seven days, he stated.
Hochul stated she despatched 600,000 fast assessments to town final week. The state and town are working to verify there’s no scarcity of provide, Hochul stated.
New York Metropolis has reported a day by day common of greater than 20,000 confirmed and possible instances up to now week. That’s greater than double the day by day common over the previous 28 days. Whereas instances are at a report, hospitalizations and deaths stay effectively beneath report highs reached in 2020.
In colleges, about 98% of shut contacts don’t find yourself creating COVID-19, Well being Commissioner Dave Chokshi stated in the course of the briefing. Air flow, testing and vaccination all make colleges safer than elsewhere, he stated.
