13 Harlem Schools Dealing With COVID-19 Cases: DOE

HARLEM, NY — Almost three weeks after the city began vaccinating youngsters against COVID-19, a smattering of schools across Harlem are still swept up in virus-prevention protocols, according to the Department of Education.

As of Tuesday, thirteen public schools in Harlem had either closed a classroom or imposed a partial quarantine due to a coronavirus exposure, according to the interactive map from the Department of Education.

Classrooms closed

The following schools have one or more classrooms closed due to a positive case in a student, teacher or staff member:

• P.S. 153 (1750 Amsterdam Ave.): three classrooms closed; one through Thursday and two through Sunday
• P.S. 192 Jacob H. Schiff (500 West 138th St.): one classroom closed through Saturday
• P.S. 180 Hugo Newman (370 West 120th St.): 2 classrooms closed, through Saturday and Monday
• P.S. 030 Hernandez/Hughes (144-176 East 128th St.): one classroom closed through Thursday
• P.S. 108 Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro Educational Complex (1615 Madison Ave.): two classrooms closed through Thursday

Partial quarantines

These schools were under partial classroom quarantines, in which only a subset of students in a classroom are required to quarantine while others can keep attending school.

• A. Philip Randolph Campus High School (443 West 135th St.)
• Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts (509 West 129th St.)
• KIPP Beyond Charter School (535 West 121st St.)
• P.S. 206 Jose Celso Barbosa (508 East 120th St.)
• James Weldon Johnson (176 East 115th St.)
• Central Park East High School (1573 Madison Ave.)
• Tag Young Scholars (240 East 109th St.)

Non-classroom quarantine

One school had a non-classroom quarantine, in which a staff member who does not have a regular presence in a classroom tests positive, meaning students do not need to quarantine.

• I.S. 99 (410 East 100th St.)

Once a common headache for parents, full school closures have become far less common this year thanks to a revised policy by the DOE.

The vaccine rollout for children aged 5-11 began on Nov. 4 thanks to federal approval. Some school-based vaccination sites were quickly plagued by long lines and supply shortfalls — though Mayor Bill de Blasio chalked that up as a positive sign of strong interest.

"We have been pleasantly surprised at how big the response has been at the school level," he said earlier this month. About 17,000 kids got their shots over the first three-day period.

The vaccine sites will be set up again at New York City public schools for second doses later this month.

Book a vaccine appointment at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov, or for state-run sites, ny.gov/vaccine.