Bill De Blasio Calls for Classrooms to Return: ‘Schools Need to be Open’

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) called on Tuesday for schools in his city to reopen, calling them the “safest places to be in New York City.”

“Schools have been safe, and schools are where kids need to be,” de Blasio said at a morning press conference, where he was joined by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). “The science is clear, schools need to be open. Everyone talks about the needs of our kids — their health needs, physical health, mental health, nutrition needs, their social development needs, their academic needs. Schools need to be open.”

The city’s schools will double PCR testing for Covid-19 when they return on Jan. 3, de Blasio said, as part of a new initiative titled “Stay Safe, and Stay Open.” As of Monday, 21 classrooms in New York had instituted full closures due to the surge of infections related to Covid-19’s Omicron variant.

“This guarantees more consistency in their education,” de Blasio added. “It guarantees fewer disruptions, which parents have rightfully said have been a tremendous challenge for them. And it works.”

About one in 50 Manhattan residents have tested positive for Covid-19 over the last seven days, according to city health data. The Omicron variant to date has resulted in just one confirmed death in the United States, suffered by an unvaccinated Texas man described as “in his 50s.”

Watch above.