Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said Saturday that no decision has been made on extending school closings, despite word from New York City that schools there would remain closed through the end of the academic year.
NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced Saturday morning that he’d decided to keep school buildings closed, and that the city’s more than 1 million students to would continue distance learning at home.
Cuomo said the decision was up to the state and that while the mayor was entitled to an opinion, DeBlasio doesn’t have the authority to close schools.
“It’s his opinion,” Cuomo said.
Any decision to extend closures would be made with input from school leaders and municipal officials through the New York metro area, including Suffolk, Nassau and Westchester counties, Cuomo said. And ideally would be further coordinated with leaders in neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut.
Cuomo dismissed the idea of closing the schools, while also expecting that businesses may reopen in mid-May — as DeBlasio has said — saying “you can’t operate that way.”
“There’s a direct connection between schools and businesses,” he said.
Death toll rises, curve flattens
In all 8,627 New Yorkers have died, with 783 lost overnight, he said. That’s up from the previous day’s toll of 777.
“The numbers are somewhat stabilizing, but at an horrific rate,” the governor said. “These are just incredible numbers depicting incredible loss and pain.”
Data from hospitals around the state shows that measures to “flatten the curve” are working. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide rose 9,946 to 180,458. But the three-day average of hospital admissions is down significantly from the peak of 1,294 on April 2. And, the number of new intubations also fell.
[Find the latest figures from Suffolk County in this Gazette post]