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Parents Protest Schools Staying Open During Time Of Swine Flu
By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2009
Modified May 20, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2009
Modified May 20, 2009
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This morning, parents, worried about the swine flu and their children's health, held a rally demanding that their Queens public schools be shut down. Currently, there are 21 public schools and five private schools closed due to swine flu concerns. The city maintains that they are monitoring schools, but one parent told NY1 that illness could have been avoid, "My daughter came to school on Monday, she came to school very healthy and when she went home, she was crying for her throat and her head. And then an hour later, she had a high fever."
NY State Health Commissioner Richard Daines announced that there are 299 swine flu cases in the entire state—201 are in NYC. A woman in Sullivan County apparently contracted the swine flu after attending the Mets game at Citi Field on Mother's Day. The Sullivan County manager explained that the trip to Queens was eyed "Because the woman's trip to the game was her only known foray out of Sullivan County lately. Obviously, we don't know for a fact, but it's the first case we have in Sullivan County and we talked to her and the only travel she made was to New York City for the Mets game."
Back to Queens: NY1 says that J.H.S. 189 had 241 of its 700+ students were absent, and 30 of its 50 teachers called in sick. That meant City Councilman John Liu ended up teaching math to the junior high kids today.
Tagged
health department
john liu
pandemic
panic
school closings
swine flu
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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