NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York City public school students are due back in classes on Monday, and all systems are go for a safe reopening, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“This is going to be a moment where we come back, because every single school child is coming back to school on Monday, September 13th.
This is going to be one of those game-changer days, one of these days that we'll remember when we turn the corner on COVID,” de Blasio said.
The mayor on Wednesday reiterated that schools are the safest place for children to be.
“We know that being out in the community during the day is much less safe than being in a school with all these protections, all this cleaning, all this ventilation,” the mayor said.
De Blasio all schools, even the 200+ that were flooded in last week's storm, will reopen on schedule, but he does acknowledge that the city will need help from the federal government in the form of a COIVD-19 vaccine for children under the age of 12.
“This is a priority but, it needs to be the highest priority,” he said. “I'm calling upon the FDA set a timeline, set a goal that we all can hear – parents need to hear this.”
As the city continues to negotiate with the teachers’ union on exemptions in the vaccine mandate, the mayor reports 65% of kids ages 12 to 17 have gotten at least one dose.
Meanwhile, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said school staff is working tirelessly to ensure classrooms are ready for children to return.
“In every building, in every neighborhood across the city, devoted members of our facilities team are checking every space to ensure it has the ability to bring in fresh air and get rid of the old air. They are ensuring that schools are stocked with PPE,” she said.
Signage will also be up to remind students to keep 3-feet apart.
Though, there has been a cut in random weekly COVID-19 testing, which has some parents concerned.
“We believe the right amount of testing is what we've put forward but we see any place where we think we need to do more we can do that, literally, on a few hours notice,” de Blasio said.
The mayor continues to stress that all parents should get eligible children vaccinated against the virus.