New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared in-person learning in classrooms to be safe during the pandemic, even as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was closing schools.
Cuomo’s comments came Thursday in a joint statement with governors from New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy posted the statement on his Twitter account.
“Medical research as well as the data from northeastern states, from across the country, and from around the world make clear that in-person learning is safe when the appropriate protections are in place, even in communities with high transmission rates,” the statement said.
“In-person learning is the best possible scenario for children, especially those with special needs and from low-income families. There is also growing evidence that the more time children spend outside of school increases the risk of mental health harm and affects their ability to truly learn.”
New York City public schools closed Thursday as a result of the coronavirus, forcing students to return to remote learning.
De Blasio said he and the Department of Education are currently working on new standards to reopen the classrooms.
Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield also said on Thursday that schools are one of the safest places for children during the pandemic.
“The truth is, for kids K-12, one of the safest places they can be, from our perspective, is to remain in school, and it’s really important that following the data, making sure we don’t make emotional decisions about what to close and what not to close,” he said.