De Blasio: Schools closing 'a setback we will overcome'

New York City is shuttering schools to try to stop renewed spre of coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, in a painful about-face for one of first big U.S. school systems to bring students back to classrooms this fall.

nation's largest public school system will halt in-person learning Thursday, sending more than 1 million children into all-online classes, mayor said.

Democrat said at an afteron news conference that plans were being me to bring in-person learning back as quickly as possible if infection rate drops, though he cautioned that bar to return would be higher than it was to close down.

He ded that schools would definitely remain closed through Thanksgiving.

De Blasio said increased virus testing of children at schools would be a component of return plan and parental consent for that testing would be required for pupils hoping to come back.

"We're going to fight this back," de Blasio said. "This is a setback, but it's a setback we will overcome."

city h said since summer that school buildings would close if 3% of all coronavirus tests performed citywide over a seven-day period came back positive. As rate neared that point last week, de Blasio vised parents to prepare for a possible shutdown.

mayor said rate equaled that mark as of Tuesday. But, in fact, a revision of earlier city data showed it h likely been above that threshold since v. 11.

city's public school students will w be taught entirely online, as most alrey are. As of end of October, only about 25% of students h attended class in person this fall, far fewer than officials h expected.

Some city parents and officials h lobbied hard for mayor to take or actions first before restoring to a schools closure, like ending indoor restaurant dining or requiring nessential businesses to close.

New York City's school system, like ors across nation, initially halted in-person learning in mid-March as virus spiked. In-person school resumed Sept. 21 for pre-kindergarteners and some special education students. Elementary schools opened Sept. 29 and high schools Oct. 1. To keep students spre out, city offered in-person learning only part-time.

At time, seven-day positive test aver rate was under 2%.

Even as school system stayed open, nearly 1,500 classrooms went through temporary closures after students or staffers tested positive, and officials began instituting local shutdowns in neighborhoods where coronavirus cases were rising rapidly.

As of midweek, more than 2,300 students or staff at public schools h tested positive since start of school year.

While many big U.S. school districts h decided to start fall term with online learning, de Blasio pushed for opening schoolhouse doors. Democrat argued that students needed services y got in school and that many parents were counting on it in order to get back to work.

reopening date, originally set for Sept. 10, was postponed twice as teachers, principals and some parents said safety precautions and staffing were inequate, with teachers' union at one point threatening to strike.

city agreed to changes, including hiring thousands more teachers and testing 10% to 20% of all students and staffers per month for virus.