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Governor Cuomo Announces All Schools in the
State Will Stay Closed for Remainder of Academic Year


May 01, 2020   11:50 a.m.   Updated: 06:00 p.m.
    BREAKING: Governor Cuomo has just announced that all schools in the state
    will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. A decision on summer
    school will be made by the end of the month.

















    Update: Press Release from Governor Cuomo's Office

    Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces
    Schools and College Facilities Statewide Will Remain Closed for the Rest
    of the Academic Year

    Directs Schools and Colleges to Create Re-Opening Plans that Re-Imagine
    Facilities to Be Approved by the State

    State is Partnering with Kate Spade New York Foundation and Crisis Text Line
    to Provide 24/7 Emotional Support Service for Frontline Workers; Workers Can
    Text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741

    Department of Financial Services to Require New York State-Regulated Health
    Insurers to Waive Out-of-Pocket Costs for Mental Health Services for Frontline
    Essential Workers

    Announces New Targeted Efforts to Further Reduce Number of New
    Hospitalizations per Day

    Five New Drive-Through Testing Facilities Now Open in Monroe, Erie, Broome,
    Niagara and Oneida Counties

    Confirms 3,942 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing
    Statewide Total to 308,314; New Cases in 48 Counties

    Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today
    announced all K-12 schools and college facilities statewide will remain closed for
    the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning
    during that time. The schools will also be required to continue meal programs
    and child care services for essential workers. The state will make a decision
    about summer school programming by the end of May.

    Governor Cuomo is also directing all schools and colleges to create re-opening
    plans that re-imagine school facilities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These
    plans should consider how schools can monitor the spread of COVID-19; how to
    reinforce student safety; when and how to resume extracurricular activities;
    protocols for special student populations; steps to ensure student mental health;
    alternative academic calendars; among other considerations. All plans will be
    reviewed and approved by the state.

    The Governor also announced the state is partnering with the Kate Spade New
    York Foundation and Crisis Text Line to provide a 24/7 emotional support service
    for frontline health care workers. Those workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-
    741 to access these emotional support services.

    The Governor also announced that the State Department of Financial Services
    will require New York State-regulated health insurers to waive cost-sharing,
    including deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, for in-network mental health
    services for New York's frontline essential workers during COVID-19. DFS will
    also issue an emergency regulation to prohibit insurers from imposing cost-
    sharing for telehealth and in-person mental health services rendered by in-
    network providers on an outpatient basis to frontline essential workers eligible to
    be tested at one of the State's drive through or walk in COVID-19 testing sites.

    The Governor also announced new targeted efforts to further reduce the number
    of new hospitalizations per day, which has remained steady at approximately
    1,000 over the last several day. This new effort will gather additional information
    and data from hospitals about the individuals who are being hospitalized for
    COVID-19, including if they are essential workers, where they work, how they
    commute, where they live and other demographics. This specific information and
    data from the hospitals will be used to come up with a new strategy more tailored
    to the reduction of new daily hospitalizations.

    The Governor also announced five new drive-through testing facilities have
    opened and are now accepting patients in Monroe, Erie, Broome, Niagara and
    Oneida Counties. Residents who would like to be tested at these facilities must
    make an appointment by calling 888-364-3065 or online at covid19screening.
    health.ny.gov. Information about the location of these new facilities is located
    below:

  • Niagara County: Niagara County Community College, 3111 Saunders
    Settlement Rd, Sanborn, NY 14132
  • Erie County: Buffalo Sabres Lot, 125 Perry Street, Buffalo, NY 14204
  • Broome County: Binghamton University - Event Center (Lot F/F3)
  • Monroe County: Monroe County Community College, 1000 E Henrietta
    Road, Rochester, NY 14623, Lot G
  • Oneida County: Griffiss International Airport, 592 Hanger Road, Rome NY,
    13441

    "It's critical that we protect our students from this virus, and given the current
    circumstances we are in we do not think it is possible to put the necessary
    precautions in place that would allow us to re-open schools this academic year,"
    Governor Cuomo said. "All schools and colleges will continue to provide distance
    learning, meal delivery and child care services for the remainder of the school
    year. And in the meantime, we want schools to start developing a plan to re-open
    with new protocols that incorporate everything that we are now doing in society
    and everything that we have learned from this pandemic. This has been a
    hardship on everyone, but our educators across the state have done a
    phenomenal job stepping up to make the best of this situation."

    Finally, the Governor confirmed 3,942 additional cases of novel coronavirus,
    bringing the statewide total to 308,314 confirmed cases in New York State.