(Photo : Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 03: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo joins his Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in a ceremony for the resumption of construction on the new Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center on August 03, 2020 in New York City. On September 11, 2001 St. Nicholas was the only other building besides the Twin Towers to be completely destroyed during the terrorist attack. Saint Nicholas Church, which began services in 1922, was named after Agios Nikolaos, the Patron Saint of Sailors. Before the Covid-19 outbreak halted all non-essential projects statewide for months, construction at the church was set to resume in the spring.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared on Friday that the state's schools are now permitted to reopen for the school year 2020 notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo wrote on Twitter on Friday, "Every region is well below our COVID infection limit, therefore all school districts are authorized to open. If the infection rate spikes, the guidance will change accordingly. School districts are required to submit plans to NYS for review."
All school districts in all regions are authorized to reopen in the fall. Cuomo noted that they will continue to oversee the infection rate of the novel coronavirus culminating up to the first day of classes.
The New York Governor stated that the state's rate of confirmed cases stands at 1 percent which he lauded as great news and that it is currently the best situation in the nation, reported Patch. There were five fatalities recorded.
Every student and teacher are required to don face masks and adhere to physical distancing. Face masks will be supplied to individuals who do not have them.
Last month, the governor said that the state's schools are merely allowed to resume in-person learning once a region has arrived at Phase Four of reopening, reported Disrn. The rate of daily infection in that region must be consistently at 5% or lower over a 2-week average.
On New York schools' reopening, Cuomo said, "If anyone can open schools we can open schools. That's true for every region in the state, period."
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Last month, Cuomo stated that in the event that schools are technically open, it is still dependent on parents' consent whether they would allow to send their children.
Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, numerous significant concerns remain regarding the reopening's safety and logistics. However, Cuomo's declaration was a significant and anticipated green light to school districts aiming for the return of the students.
A crucial note made by Cuomo is that he is not requiring schools to reopen but simply confirming that they are allowed to do so, so long as there is no relapse in any region's average rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
New York City was the initial epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States which has the largest school system in the nation as it serves over 1.1 million students. There are a recorded 732 school districts across New York.
As a safety precaution, Cuomo underscored that schools will have to close if the regional rate of COVID-19 cases rises over nine percent over a one-week average.
All of New York adheres to the state necessities for school reopenings as of now.
New York school districts have been submitting reopening plans to the Cuomo government for weeks. Cuomo stated that these would be approved by the New York Board of Health on Friday.
However, Cuomo cautioned that the Board of Health also had the power to disapprove such plans of New York schools reopening.
One hundred twenty-seven districts have yet to submit such plans and 50 plans submitted are either deficient or incomplete. New York's Department of Health will notify such districts whose plans are either of the two.
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