New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced that all schools and colleges in the state will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. The decision, which means that schools will continue distance learning in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, comes after Cuomo said he does not believe educational institutions could come up with an immediate plan to reopen schools that would ensure the safety of students, teachers, and faculty.

“We want schools now to start developing a plan to reopen. The plan has to have protocols in place that incorporate everything that we are now doing in society and everything that we learned,” Cuomo said. “We must protect our children. Every parent and citizen feels that.” Stating that he will have a decision on the possibility of summer school by the end of May, Cuomo asked the state’s school districts to develop a plan for the fall on how to reopen while avoiding a resurgence in the virus.