With COVID cases surging in hotspot New York City, plans for the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square will be scaled back, sources said.
Requirements will include proof of vaccination. Those who cannot be vaccinated due to a disability must show proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours. Those under 5 years old must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Masks also must be worn.
Meanwhile, three more public schools have temporarily closed their doors because of COVID outbreaks as cases surge across New York City, according to city data released Tuesday night, December 21, 2021.
There are at least 10 city schools closed, with another 44 under investigation for possible closures, according to the DOE’s daily COVID case map website.
The latest schools to close are I.S. 072, Rocco Laurie, in Staten Island, P.S. 250 George H. Lindsay school in Brooklyn, and Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx, according to the website.
The 10-day closures begin Tuesday and will last through Dec. 31, the DOE said.
The closures come a day after three other schools were forced to temporarily shutter their doors. They will remain closed through Dec. 30.
Students at the schools will return to classrooms after winter break on Jan. 3. All affected students will utilize remote learning on days when school is in session.
Information made available by the Department of Education also shows there were at least 374 active classroom closures and 3,205 partial classroom closures citywide, as of Tuesday evening.
There have been 16 school closures since the beginning of the academic year in September.
Since the start of the school year, there have been a total of 21,175 students and staff who tested positive for COVID-19.
School and city leaders are calling on the mayor to come up with a plan to keep students and staff safe, including the implementation of the CDC-approved “test and stay” protocol.
