Coronavirus Cases Close 3 More Bed-Stuy Schools: DOE

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Three more Bed-Stuy schools have been temporarily closed due to coronavirus cases detected in the building, bringing the total of schools closed in the neighborhood to nine.

P.S. 44, P.S. 3 and I.S. 258 were all closed either Monday or Tuesday, according to the Department of Education's map of active cases.

Both P.S. 44 and P.S. 3 face extended closures until Jan. 27, while I.S. 258's closure will last only through Wednesday.

According to the Department of Education's guidelines, school buildings must automatically close pending an investigation when at least two COVID-19 cases linked to each other are confirmed in separate classrooms. The closure is extended when the infections occurred outside of school or a link between them cannot be determined.

There were two recorded cases of coronavirus at both I.S. 258 and P.S. 44 and at least four recorded at P.S. 3, according to the map.

The schools, along with the others closed in Bed-Stuy, are among nearly 400 across the five boroughs that were under coronavirus closures on Wednesday. There were 281 facing an extended closure and 92 under a 24-hour shut down, according to the map. A total of 803 classrooms were also closed due to the virus.

Officials hope to avert another disruptive citywide school closure that shifts all students to fully remote, as happened in November. Coronavirus cases across the city remain at months-long highs, but schools appear to be relatively safe.

Find more information on schools closures here.