Governor Cuomo countered Mayor De Blasio’s earlier announcement, stating there has been no official decision on school closuresGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

Earlier this morning, NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio announced the closure of city schools through the end of this school yearGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. Originally, schools had been scheduled to be closed through April 20thGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

This announcement follows the outbreak of cases of COVID-19 that have slammed the cityGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. The Mayor came to this morning’s decision, citing that opening schools in two weeks is no longer a feasible optionGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

The NYC public school system is the largest of its kind in the United States, serving over 1 million studentsGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. Students will continue to use digital learning platforms for the rest of the academic yearGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

Mayor De Blasio also remarked that the decision to close the schools was not easy, stating that it was “painful, but will save lives”Give_Me_Astoria_image_00028. The mayor also added that schools should be open regularly for the new academic year this SeptemberGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.