As COVID cases increase in NYC, concerns over fate of city's schools

NEW YORK - Alarming increases in coronavirus cases in almost a dozen zip codes in New York City have many concerned about the fate of the city’s schools.

While the city’s 7-day rolling average for positive tests is at 1.53 percent, the spikes in 11 zip codes could affect as many as 80 schools.

In response, the city will begin randomly testing 10 to 20 percent of students at public school buildings once a month for COVID-19. But a recent study done by NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine suggests that that may not be enough to catch a large outbreak. 

“You can’t test every student every single day because that’s what it would take to know exactly what’s going on,” said Dr. Robert Amler. “Instead you test a sample, you look back and see how well you did and then the next cycle you can increase or decrease that sample depending on what you found.”

While the UFT is calling for schools in those zip codes to be closed, Mayor Bill de Blasio says right now, that is overreaching.

Regarding the testing, the New York City Department of Education says parents have the option of excluding their children from those random tests.