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NYC Reports 2.6% Positive Testing Rate For COVID, Schools Will Stay Open Monday
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Nov 15, 2020
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Nov 15, 2020
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New York City health officials on Sunday reported a seven-day average positivity rate of 2.6%, meaning that city public schools will remain open on Monday.
Health officials also recorded a daily positivity of 0.30%, but that number is very likely to go up because labs have been slower in reporting results amid increased demand for testing. After 12 days of steady increases, the average positivity now appears to be declining somewhat, although recent numbers are subject to change as more test results come in.
Dr. Denis Nash, an epidemiology professor at CUNY, noted that the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases are still on the rise. The seven-day average of new daily cases is now above 900, having hovered around 500 two weeks ago.
"So we need to be clear that there is still a rising number of new diagnoses," Nash said. "People should not get a false sense of security by looking at the positivity only."
Similar to the beginning of the outbreak in New York City, the focus is once again on the city's plan for schools. Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to close public schools should the positivity go above 3%, but he is facing increasing pressure to back off that plan.
On Saturday, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged de Blasio to reconsider and perform more targeted shutdowns based on testing data at particular schools.
To date, the infection rate in city schools is below a quarter of a percent. Since the reopening, 126 out of roughly 1,700 schools have been forced to close for a 24-hour period, while another 80 have been required to close for two-weeks as part of a mandatory quarantine period, according to the latest Department of Education data.
"Because if the school is not spreading the virus, or if the school has a much lower positivity rate than the surrounding area, then the school is not part of the problem," Cuomo said, during a call with reporters. "And you could argue keeping the children in the school is part of the solution rather than the children spending time on the street in the neighborhood where the infection rate is higher."
But while the governor, who is scheduled to deliver remarks Sunday morning at Riverside Church in Manhattan, asserted that he had the power to keep schools open, he stopped short of overruling the mayor's plan.
Frustrated parents protested the mayor's plan at Foley Square on Saturday. Critics, including public health experts, have argued that it does not make sense to close schools while allowing indoor dining to continue, albeit only at 25% capacity.
"Experience from other countries have shown that opening schools is not the driver of transmission in communities," said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, an epidemiology professor at Columbia University. "We should focus on other behaviors where we know the virus are transmitted, and try to keep schools open based on known value of in-person schooling for children, particularly young children."
Meanwhile, New Yorkers trying to get tested continue to endure hours-long lines outside some testing locations.
Tagged
COVID-19
schools
public schools
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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