It is official. Schools in Nassau and Suffolk County will not be in session starting Monday for two weeks.
The news comes straight from Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
“There is evidence that the virus is already present in many communities we serve, and our efforts now must be aimed at preventing its spread,” said Bellone. “As part of our larger social distancing efforts, we believe that closing schools is the right thing to do at this time.”
Even though students are not allowed to go to school, there are still some exceptions for administrators and staff.
“School facilities will be closed for instruction, but administrators and teachers can still use school buildings for distance-based learning as well as distribution of grab-and-go lunches,” said Curran at a news conference.
Schools in New York City and Westchester will also be closed. Gov. Andrew Cuomo hasn’t been completely on board with shutting down New York City schools, which educates over 1.1 million public school students, but he ultimately changed his mind.
“We will close these schools but it needs to be done with these contingencies in mind so that children are not harmed and our hospitals aren’t understaffed — otherwise we cut off our nose to spite our face,” said Cuomo in a news release.
Curran and Bellone said they are working with school districts to make sure students who mainly receive their meals from school are fed. They are also working on a plan to provide childcare for people who cannot afford to stay home from work and watch their children. Theses professionals include healthcare providers, police officers and firemen.
