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Initially, Cuomo had initially issued an order for schools to be closed through Wednesday, April 1, at which point he and his aides would reassess the situation.
As the statewide total of COVID-19 cases reached 44,635 as of Friday, March 27, Cuomo announced that schools would be closed for at least an additional two weeks, though Wednesday, April 15, at which point they will again see where they stand in the fight against the virus.
If the numbers continue to rise, Cuomo said they will likely order schools closed an additional two weeks after April 15.
“Public education is very important to all of us,” Cuomo said. “The other side of the balance beam is public health. We decided to close schools because I believed it was a safer choice to help reduce the spread. That's why we did it.”
Cuomo said that schools will continue to operate under their Distance Learning Plans, and will continue to provide any services previously provided to “mitigate the consequence of their closing.”
The state is also continuing to waive the mandatory rule mandating that schools provide a minimum of 180 days of learning.
“When you make a decision you have to weigh the benefit versus the burden. We don’t do this joyfully, but if you look at where we are, and the number of cases still increasing, it only makes sense.”
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