New York City public school students who learn alongside COVID-19-positve classmates can stay in school if they test negative for the virus using \u2026<\/b>
\nNew York City public school students who learn alongside COVID-19-positve classmates can stay in school if they test negative for the virus using scaled-up at-home testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. \u201cEvery child who tests negative comes back to school,\u201d de Blasio said during a virtual press briefing, dubbing the approach \u201cstay safe and stay open.\u201d When a public school student tests positive for COVID-19, beginning Jan.3 all children in their class will be given two at-home testing kits to use for seven days, he said. Each child who is negative and does not demonstrate virus symptoms can return to school, the mayor explained. \u201cThis guarantees more consistency in their education, it guarantees fewer disruptions,\u201d said de Blasio. \u201cThe jury has come back, we have a lot of evidence now, it\u2019s told us this is the approach that\u2019s going to work for the future.\u201d De Blasio claimed that 98 percent of close contacts of public school students who test positive for the virus do not end up contracting it as well. Under the new policy, students are permitted to attend classes in person if they or their parents say that they have tested negative via at-home test, but don\u2019t need to provide proof of negative test results, said Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city\u2019s health commissioner. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday reduced its recommended quarantine period from 10 days to five for those who no longer have symptoms. In recent months, city officials have opted to shutter entire classrooms in the event of an exposure and to move impacted students to remote learning for 10 days. Roughly 4,700 classrooms have been closed this academic year. But the city\u2019s new guidelines allow kids who test negative after an infection emerges to remain in school. In addition, the city will increase the frequency of random in-school testing of students and staff, de Blasio announced. Joined remotely Tuesday morning by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor-elect Eric Adams, de Blasio revealed that weekly testing in Department of Education schools will be doubled when schools return after Christmas break. The testing will now include vaccinated as well as unvaccinated pupils, he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to double the amount of testing we do in schools,\u201d the mayor said, adding the city will launch a \u201cbig push\u201d to encourage parents to sign consent forms for testing. \u201cThese are the things we\u2019re going to do to keep everyone safe.\u201d Hochul touted the 600,000 rapid tests the state sent to the city Department of Health last week, setting up five state-run testing sites opening Wednesday in the five boroughs and 10 additional ambulances the state dispatched to the Big Apple. \u201cThe state and city [are] working together. We\u2019re going to make sure there\u2019s no shortage of supply,\u201d she said during the press briefing. Adams, who will succeed de Blasio on Jan.1, praised Hochul and the mayor for being \u201cunified\u201d in handling the virus. \u201cWe must reopen the city and we can do that. And so, you and the governor and I are sending a clear message to New Yorkers and to this entire country that we are together to fight this real battle that we have,\u201d said the outgoing Brooklyn borough president. \u201cWe\u2019re saying loud and clear: Your children are safer in school and we are united to make sure they will continue to be safe.\u201d In response to the change, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew praised Hochul for sending 2 million rapid tests to Big Apple schools while declaring the jury is still out on City Hall\u2019s ability to manage the virus in schools as the Omicron variant has sent cases skyrocketing. \u201cTeachers are prepared to do their jobs starting January 3rd. The real issue is whether the city can do its job,\u201d Michael Mulgrew said in a statement. \u201cWe are moving closer to a safe re-opening of school next week. But we are not there yet.\u201d Comptroller-elect Brad Lander (D- Park Slope) called for students and school workers to be tested for the coronavirus before they return to classrooms after winter break rather than when they come back to school buildings amid a winter coronavirus surge. \u201cScaling up testing in our schools is essential to keeping students, teachers and our communities safe. I\u2019m glad to see a start in that direction,\u201d said Lander, an outgoing councilman, in a press release. \u201cBut as Omicron spreads rapidly in our city, requiring and providing tests BEFORE students, teachers and staff go back to classrooms would go a long way to slowing this outbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n