New York Mayor Says Schools to Remain Closed Until September amid Virus Outbreak

By Staff, Agencies

Public schools in New York, the US city hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, will remain closed until September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Saturday.

"There is nothing easy about this decision," the mayor said at a news conference.

He added, however, that "it clearly will help us save lives ... It's the right decision."

New York’s death toll has continued to rise -- it now stands at 5,820, according to the latest count from Johns Hopkins University. But the rate of hospitalizations has slowed, authorities said.

De Blasio said he had decided on the step after conferring late Friday with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is leading the government's scientific response to the coronavirus.

The city closed its public schools on March 16 as the virus continued its rapid spread.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had earlier extended the closing of schools statewide to April 29. The state has registered more than 170,000 cases of the coronavirus, with more than 7,800 deaths.

De Blasio also said that 6,000 single homeless adults -- one-third of the total -- would be transferred to hotels "to make sure people that need to be isolated are isolated."