New York City’s Public Advocate says schools should immediate return to remote learning as the Omicron coronavirus variant sweeps across the city.
“NYC schools should go remote starting Mon (should’ve been last week). A no-brainer as we near recess,” Jumaane Williams said in a tweet Saturday.
Even as city schools report record numbers of COVID-19 cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio has resisted a return to lockdowns.
“No no no,” he told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer on Friday when asked if he supported closing schools. “Don’t fight yesterday’s war … This is not March of 2020. We’re one of the most highly vaccinated places in the United States of America.”
Williams, who may soon be facing de Blasio in a Democratic primary for governor, also took a swipe at the outgoing mayor — and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“@NYCMayor ends term proving he’s still willing to take needless risks & hasn’t learned enough lessons. @GovKathyHochul should seriously consider the same.” he said. “My guess is that even with all of the recommendations and insistence that we prepare a viable remote school option for just this type of scenario the Mayor stubbornly still has not. Likely the same across the state. Almost 2 years in there is simply no excuse for that.”
Though schools are staying open for now, individual shutdowns have occurred in isolated pockets of the city. Three schools were closed Thursday by the Department of Education over local outbreaks
De Blasio will leave office at the end of the year when he is replaced by mayor-elect Eric Adams. As Public Advocate, Williams is automatically next in line for the city’s top job should the sitting mayor leave office.