Photo taken on March 3, 2020 show the closed gate of SAR Academy in Bronx of New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo cleared the way for schools to offer at least some days of in-person classes, alongside remote learning this fall. Students will be required to wear masks throughout the school days.
NEW YORK, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that all school districts across the state have been authorized to reopen for the fall semester.
"By our infection rates, all school districts can open" with tight precautions, Cuomo said Friday on a conference call with reporters.
Cuomo cleared the way for schools to offer at least some days of in-person classes, alongside remote learning this fall.
Students will be required to wear masks throughout the school days, he noted.
"It is just great news," Cuomo said. "We are probably in the best situation in the country right now." He added that they will continue to monitor the infection rate leading up to the first day of school.
A primary school is closed due to COVID-19 in New York, the United States, March 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
"Everywhere in the state, every region is below the threshold that we established," Cuomo said. Last month he said that school districts would be allowed to reopen in September if the positive test rate for their region stayed below 5 percent -- a threshold every state region has met as of Friday.
Of the nearly 750 school districts, more than 120 districts have not submitted plans and 50 have plans that are either incomplete or deficient, Cuomo said.
He said how schools are going to test students and teachers is particularly a "high level of concern."
Cuomo said the state's Department of Health will continue to go through plans over the weekend. ■