SCHOOLS in New York State will reopen this September, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.

In-person classes will be allowed to resume if the covid-19 transmission rate in the state, one of the lowest in the US, remains below five percent.

"Every region is well below our COVID infection limit, therefore all school districts are authorized to open," Cuomo tweeted Friday.

"If the infection rate spikes, the guidance will change accordingly. School districts are required to submit plans to NYS for review."

Schools districts across the state have been submitting their plans for reopening in recent weeks, and Cuomo said these would be approved by theNew York Board of Health.

It will be up to local school districts to decide to what extent they reopen, with the option to adopt hybrid in-person/online education models.

Any plans that did not satisfy the Board of Health would be denied, Cuomo said.

Restrictions and safety measures will be encouraged to protect teachers and students from covid-19.

Cuomo said formal discussions will need to be held between school administrators, teachers and parents in every district.

"It is just great news," Cuomo said at a press conference announcing the news.

"We are probably in the best situation in the country right now."

"If anyone can open schools we can open schools," he said.

"That's true for every region in the state, period."

President Donald Trump has urged schools to reopen in the fall, underscoring the importance of allowing parents to get back to work.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month released guidelines that took a strong stance in favor of re-opening in-person classes.

The guidelines emphasized the benefits and downplayed risks of sending kids back to school.

But many teachers and parents oppose reopening for in-person classes, saying the risk of spreading covid-19 is too high.

Some teachers have drafted up their wills out of fear they might contract the coronavirus.

Source: Read Full Article