Coronavirus Cases Close Park Slope School, Daycare Centers: DOE

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A Park Slope school and two daycare centers in the neighborhood have been temporarily shut down due to coronavirus cases detected in the building, according to the Department of Education.

I.S. 51 on Fifth Avenue, Helen Owen Carey Child Development Center on Lincoln Place and a daycare facility on Second Street were each marked closed on Tuesday given at least two cases of coronavirus in each building, according to the Department of Education's map of active cases.

The Second Street daycare is the only of the three facilities that is facing an extended closure. A coronavirus case was first detected at the Strong Place for Hope Day Care Center last Thursday, according to the map, and the building will remain closed through March 12.

The other two Park Slope buildings are facing 24-hour closures.

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.

The three Park Slope-area schools are among nearly 300 across the five boroughs that were under coronavirus closures as of Tuesday. There were 218 facing an extended closure and 58 under a 24-hour shut down, according to the map.

A total of 749 classrooms were also closed due to the virus.

The closures come as the city's public high schools prepare to welcome back in person students for the first time since November this month. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that high schoolers would return to classrooms on March 22.

Middle school students returned to their classrooms on Feb. 25.

Find the full map of active closures and cases here.