Brooklyn And Queens Catholic Schools To Stay Open Thursday

BROOKLYN, NY — Catholic private schools in Brooklyn and Queens will stay open Thursday despite a citywide shutdown on in-person learning at public schools due to the coronavirus, school leaders said.

The Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Brooklyn and Queens announced Wednesday that all 69 of the organization's schools would stay open for in-person learning even if the city shut down public schools.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that public schools would be closed Thursday around 2 p.m. Wednesday after the city's coronavirus rate ticked above a 3-percent threshold.

The move is not the first time the Diocese has differed from public schools in its handling of the coronavirus crisis. Its catholic schools have held in-person learning five days a week since Sept. 9, unlike public schools, which took a blended remote and in-person approach.

“Every member of our school community has truly dedicated themselves to keeping our schools as safe as possible in the wake of this Coronavirus pandemic, and the results prove these efforts have worked," Superintendent Thomas Chadzutko said.

"For more than eight weeks, we have been able to maintain in-person learning for our students, mostly five days a week, and we intend to keep doing so going forward this school year. We know how critical it is for the development of our students to keep our schools open. Our children want to be in the classroom and we want them to be there for as long as safely possible."

The private schools could be out of luck soon, though, should the city's coronavirus rate continue to rise.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that New York City will be put under "Orange Zone"restrictions should its infection rate — the state's measure, not the city's — rise above 3 percent. Orange Zone restrictions include the shutdown of all schools, both private and public.

The seven-day average infection rate for New York City according to the state's numbers was 2.5 percent on Wednesday. New York City and New York State health officials use different approaches to measuring coronavirus tests, which results in the number discrepancies.