While Mayor Bill de Blasio said this decision has been made “with no joy and a lot of pain” the politician decided to suspend public school service until April 20th to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus. According to the New York Times, the mandate, which was made on Sunday (March 15), will temporarily place 1.1 million students out of school. On March 23, the city will launch a remote learning system.
“I’m very, very concerned that we see a rapid spread of this disease, and it’s time to take more dramatic measures,” de Blasio said. In New York City, 329 people have been confirmed positive for the Coronavirus. The state itself has tallied 729 positive cases.
On Twitter, the New York City Public Schools account shared information on where students can still receive breakfast and lunch. At every public school city-wide, the meals will be handed out under a “free grab-and-go” system from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Though schools themselves are closed today, free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch can be picked up by any student. ➡️ Meals are available from 7:30am-1:30pm outside the main entrance to every school building. https://t.co/aJScwZco4J
— NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) March 16, 2020
New York State and other states across the country continue to stress the importance of social distancing in order to prevent an increase in a mass spread of the virus. Reducing bars and restaurants to take-out or delivery service only will also be part of the state’s strategy to decrease the number of people at-risk of contagion and possibly alleviate the workload that’s headed toward the healthcare system.