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55 DOE Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus As City Announces “Situation Room” For Schools
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 14, 2020
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NYC Mayor's Office
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 14, 2020
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Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a COVID-19 "situation room" for local public schools on Monday, as dozens more Department of Education staffers tested positive for the virus just one week before the start of in-person classes.
In total, 55 school-based employees with the DOE have confirmed infections, the mayor said on Monday. Nearly 17,000 tests have been conducted on DOE staff so far, returning a positivity rate of .32 percent.
On Friday, the city temporarily closed a Bronx school after two teachers tested positive for the virus.
"Let's talk about an obvious reality: some people will test positive," de Blasio said during his daily briefing. "Those folks will immediately get support. After two weeks, those professionals will come back to work — and they'll complete the entire school year."
City officials have vowed to prioritize free testing for all DOE employees and students at 22 public hospital sites, with the goal of turning around results within 48 hours.
De Blasio has also tapped Department of Buildings Commissioner Melanie La Rocca to oversee a new "situation room" with staff from the DOE, Test & Trace Corps, and the Health Department.
They will provide a direct hotline for school principals to report confirmed or suspected cases, which will then be verified and tracked by health officials, according to the mayor.
The new framework comes after de Blasio was slammed last week by United Federation of Teachers President Mike Mulgrew for a litany of reopening issues, including dirty buildings and slow testing turnaround times. Mulgrew, whose union represents 75,000 teachers, hinted at the possibility of a walk-out if the issues were not addressed by next week.
Asked about the video on Monday, the mayor acknowledged the DOE's "misstep" in failing to properly clean 17 state-owned school buildings, but said that problem had been addressed.
De Blasio also announced an additional 2,000 educators with teaching certifications will be deployed to schools by next week. Many are being redirected from other support services that will not be available this year.
Asked about the prospect that the start of the school year could be delayed once again, the mayor rejected the possibility.
"Of course it'll open," he said, referring to the current start date of September 21st for in-person classes.
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COVID-19
coronavirus
mayor bill de blasio
schools reopening
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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