Breaking: New York City schools to remain closed for rest of academic year

After days of debate, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city's education chancellor decided Saturday to shut the nation's largest school system for the remainder of the academic year to fight the coronavirus.

"This is a painful but necessary decision," de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza said. "Public health experts have determined that community transmission of COVID-19 will be widespread well into the end of the school year.

"Even at low-level transmission, we’d have new cases, which would be extremely difficult to contain school-to-school. We believe there simply wouldn’t be enough time to bring our students back," the added.

You can read the announcement here.

The city's schools were first closed a few weeks back through the end of April but now will be extended until the new school year.

Officials said teachers and students will finish the school year in remote learning but the system will continue to operate our 400-plus school-based Meal Hubs, which serve free meals to students who need them. Child care will also continue to be provided for kids of the school system's essential workers.