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Coronavirus Updates: New York Is Looking At Reopening Pools This Summer
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 10, 2020
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 10, 2020
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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Wednesday, June 10th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.
New York City is in Phase 1 of reopening now. Here's a look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.
Here's the latest:
- New York Is Looking At Reopening Pools This Summer
- NYC Schools Eyeing September Start, Split Schedules And Mix Of Online And In-Person Learning
- His Mysterious Illness Was Triggered By COVID. He’s Better Now. But What About In The Future?
- As Civil Courts Reopen, Tenant Advocates Fear Coronavirus Could Spread In A Busy Housing Court
- Bus And Subway Riders Jump By More Than 213,000 On First Day Of Reopening
New York Is Looking At Reopening Pools This Summer
2:15 p.m. New York state officials are examining ways to reopen pools this summer, according to Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor.
“We anticipate putting out guidance for the municipalities in coming days,” DeRosa said during a press conference with Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday.
A reporter had asked Cuomo about the possibility of reopening outdoor pools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has hinted that New York City may be able to reopen pools this season as long as the health indicators continue to show that coronavirus infections are waning.
“If we can do that then we’re having a real conversation about beaches for sure,” he said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “If we can do that there may even be a way to come back to pools.”
Lifeguards have been training since May, a decision which Mitchell Silver, the city's parks commissioner, has described as a pre-emptive measure to ensure that the lifeguards would be ready and in shape should the city reopen beaches later in the summer.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the lifeguards have implemented special health protocols into their training, such as using a CPR bag instead of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and limiting the number of lifeguards in one pool.
On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that public and private pools would be allowed to reopen on June 22nd with certain restrictions. In a preview of what New Yorkers should expect, New Jersey health officials have limited capacity at pools to 50 percent, required swimmers to practice social distancing, and banned pool toys.
Public health experts have said that there is no evidence that coronavirus can be spread in chlorinated pools, but that locker room and contact in the water is a risk.
NYC Schools Eyeing September Start, Split Schedules And Mix Of Online And In-Person Learning
New York City public school officials are targeting a September opening but possibly with a rolling start as well as split scheduling that allows for better social distancing. Students would engage in "blended learning," a combination of online and in-person instruction.
The ideas were laid out in an email sent on Tuesday from New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza to principals and other school leaders, which the New York Post first reported and was later shared by Chalkbeat.
"Since we cannot yet predict what September will look like, we can—and we must—be prepared for a range of possibilities," Carranza wrote.
The email was the most detailed picture yet of what city school children can expect when they return to the classroom. Governor Andrew Cuomo has not yet said when schools would reopen but dramatic changes are likely. Other countries have instituted measures like temperature checks, staggered and phased-in start times and keeping windows open to allow for more air circulation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended staggered scheduling, smaller groups of instruction, modified seating plans, physical barriers, among other safety precautions.
In his email, Carranza said that schools should be ready to deal with the trauma felt by children. "We know that we must have a thoughtful process to reacclimate children, parents, and staff to being back in school buildings," he wrote. "This means we must focus on the social-emotional needs of school communities while implementing trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning."
Schools, he said, will also have to comply with "enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols."
But important questions, such as how often to test staff and teachers and the protocol of treating a sick child, are still unanswered, as a recent New York Times editorial raised.
Carranza said city school officials would be communicating with "families, parent leaders, community partners, students, and staff in the coming weeks to learn more about what they would like to see reflected in reopening plans.”
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coronavirus
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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