Catholic School Parents, Students Protest Decision To Shut Down Schools In Coronavirus Hot Spots

From CBS New York:

October 6 2020

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Students and parents are protesting Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to shut down Catholic schools in COVID-19 hot spot zip codes.

The superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn called the move “unconscionable” at a rally Tuesday outside Good Shepherd Catholic Academy in Marine Park, Brooklyn.

Schools were forced to close in zip codes with high coronavirus infection rates. Cuomo said not every public and private school in those neighborhoods had been tested and he didn’t think it was safe for kids.

The superintendent said in the four Catholic schools affected by the shutdown, there had only been on COVID positive case.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city has gotten more than 1,300 test results from 35 schools in those zip codes and only two came back positive. He was asked – why close schools then?

“It just stands to reason that even though the schools were doing quite well, we just want to reduce the overall activity for a few weeks hopefully and really stop the spread quickly,” he said Tuesday.

He said he hopes schools will be able to reopen for in-person learning within two to four weeks.

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