De Blasio to keep NYC schools open Monday after warning parents of return to remote learning
Schools to switch to remote learning only if infection rate hits 3%, mayor says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After warning that parents should be ready for schools to close as soon as Monday morning because of a coronavirus spike, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said Sunday that schools will remain open.
DE BLASIO DISMISSES CORONAVIRUS RISKS DURING BIDEN VICTORY CELEBRATIONS, CONTRARY TO CDC GUIDELINES
"Today’s indicators are similar to yesterday," de Blasio wrote on Twitter, citing city statistics showing that 117 coronavirus patients were admitted to the hospital, there were 937 new coronavirus cases and the test positivity seven-day average is 2.57%.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Thankfully, schools will remain open on Monday, but we have to keep fighting back with everything we’ve got," de Blasio continued.
De Blasio had previously warned that if the infection rate hit 3%, schools would physically close and go fully remote. As of Friday, the city had measured the rate at 2.8%, a bump from Thursday’s 2.6%.
More than 19,000 New York City residents have been confirmed to have died of coronavirus, according to the city's health data.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York, speaks during a news conference at New Bridges Elementary School in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Meanwhile, on the state level, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that his state may sue the federal government after President Trump threatened to withhold a potential coronavirus vaccine from New Yorkers.
“I tell you today, if the Trump administration does not change this plan and does not provide an equitable vaccine process, we will enforce our legal rights. We will bring legal action to protect New Yorkers,’’ the governor said according to the New York Post.
TRUMP CALLS OUT CUOMO ON STUNTING VACCINE DISTRIBUTION DURING ROSE GARDEN SPEECH
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I’m not going to allow New Yorkers to be bullied or abused,’’ the Democratic governor added.
Trump, aiming to settle political scores, said he would not ship vaccines to hard-hit New York after Cuomo said he will have his own panel of experts independently “review” any immunization from the federal government.
“The governor will let us know when he’s ready,” Trump said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Peter Aitken and Frank Miles contributed to this report.