4 MARCH 19, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Mayor closes NYC public schools
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
New York City public schools have
closed this week until April in
an eff ort to limit the spread of
the coronavirus, according to Mayor
Bill de Blasio.
School is suspended until after
spring vacation starting Monday,
March 16, de Blasio said during a press
conference on Sunday. He said the fi rst
attempt to reopen schools will be on
Monday, April 20, but he added that
they may have to go out for the whole
school year.
“It was a very painful, diffi cult decision,”
de Blasio said. “It became clear
to me as we went through projections
… the threat was growing so intensely
that we knew we had to. We’ve never
seen anything like this. Yeah, I went
through ebola, but nothing like this.”
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza
announced that while students
would be at home, teachers and school
administrators were instructed to return
to schools on Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday to undergo training in
order to implement remote (or online)
learning.
Carranza said it is critical for parents
to sign up for a New York City
Schools account in order to receive all
the updates and materials they’ll need
for their kids. He added that while New
York City’s public schools are closed on
Monday, breakfast and lunch will still
be served for students who need it.
Mayor Bill de Blasio during a press conference on coronavirus at New York City’s Emergency Management offi ce
in Brooklyn on Monday, March 9. Photo by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
“It’s not going to be like regular
school, it’s going to be impossible for
it to be,” Carranza said.
He said that the DOE wants to provide
as much fl exibility as possible
for students, similar to the summer
school module. Carranza said that as
they work with teachers, details will
become clear. De Blasio added that
teachers who are sick should stay at
home during the training period.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced
schools in Westchester, Nassau and
Suff olk will close for two weeks beginning
Monday, March 16.
“Our goal is to slow the spread of the
virus to a rate that the healthcare system
can manage, and one of the ways
to do that is to reduce density,” Cuomo
said. “Closing the schools is a good idea
but you have to anticipate and correct
any unintended consequences — we
have to ensure children who rely on
free school meals continue to get them
and that there’s adequate child care,
especially for healthcare workers
and fi rst responders who are parents
of young children. We will close these
schools but it needs to be done with
these contingencies in mind so that
children are not harmed and our hospitals
aren’t understaff ed — otherwise
we cut off our nose to spite our face.”
Executive order shutters clubs, theaters and bars
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
EDAVENPORT@QNS.COM
@QNS
More businesses are closing
down in an eff ort to stop the
spread of coronavirus in New
York City.
Mayor de Blasio signed an executive
order that will limit restaurants,
bars and cafes to food take-out and
delivery. The order also calls for
the closure of nightclubs, movie
theaters, small theater houses and
concert venues.
The order went into effect at 9 a.m.
on March 17.
“This is not a decision I make
lightly,” said de Blasio. “These
places are part of the heart and soul
of our city. They are part of what it
means to be a New Yorker. But our
city is facing an unprecedented
threat, and we must respond with
a wartime mentality.”
This decision comes in the wake of
the mayor’s announcement to close
down New York City public schools,
which are expected to stay closed
until at least April 20.
“Our lives are all changing in ways
that were unimaginable just a week
ago,” said de Blasio. “We are taking a
series of actions that we never would
have taken otherwise in an effort to
save the lives of loved ones and our
neighbors.”
The Wildlife Conservation Society
also announced that as of March 16,
they will be temporarily closing the
Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect
Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New
York Aquarium. All education and
public programs will be canceled
until further notice.
“We are committed to the safety
of our staff, volunteers, guests and
community. We will provide updates
and information on when we
will reopen the parks and resume
normal operations,” said WCS in a
statement.
While the parks are closed, essential
animal care and operations staff
will continue to provide care for our
animals and make sure all essential
life support and other vital systems
continue to operate without disruption.
The WCS will honor previously
purchased zoo tickets for any future
date in 2020, and all WCS memberships
will be extended.
Photo via Flickr/nycmayorsoffi ce
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