Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday the city is still working out how to educate students who test positive for COVID-19 and have to stay home — since there will be no pandemic-style remote option available to students.
“We’re not going to remote as we had it previously,” he said at his daily briefing. “I’ve made that very clear. Everyone’s coming back to school.”
Hizzoner said those who contract the virus will be temporarily absent, and therefore some arrangement will have to be made for them.
“I think we’re going to see some kids, some staff who may have to be out for limited periods of time,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to have a huge problem there. How we de al with a kid who is out for a week is something we’re working through right now. But we’re going to be on a fully in-person system.”
Some parent and teacher groups have pressed the Department of Education to continue with a remote learning alternative for any student who wants it in light of the Delta variant.
But de Blasio once again rejected those calls at his daily briefing and cited increased vaccinations among both students and staff.
De Blasio pegged his optimistic outlook to vaccinations among school populations.
Officials have said roughly 60 percent of city school employees — including teachers — have had confirmed vaccinations while others are believed to have received the shot outside of the city or through private physicians.
About 53 percent of all students ages 12 to 17 have received at least one COVID-19 shot, a health department official said Thursday.
“We should remember the very high levels of vaccinations we have among DOE staff and educators,” de Blasio said. “And I’m guaranteeing you parents are going to rush to get their kids vaccinated by the time we get to the opening of school.”
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