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Cuomo Says All Schools in New York State Can Reopen

“If there’s a spike in the infection rate, if there’s a matter of concern in the infection rate, then we can revisit,” the governor said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday morning that all schools in his state are allowed to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, putting the final decision in the hands of local leaders. “Everywhere in the state, every region is below the threshold that we established,” Cuomo told reporters in a conference call. “If there’s a spike in the infection rate, if there’s a matter of concern in the infection rate, then we can revisit.” In order to open, schools must be in a region where the percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus is below 5 percent.

New York City schools, which make up the largest district in the U.S., closed on March 13 amid a massive spike of coronavirus cases that ultimately killed more than 20,000 city residents. Mayor Bill de Blasio has been optimistic about reopening city schools with social-distancing measures in place, even as other major cities, including Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles, have announced that students will continue with remote learning at the start of the school year.