Cuomo bars summer school in N.Y. amid spike in coronavirus-linked illness afflicting kids

Gov. Cuomo at a daily COVID-19 briefing Photo / Kevin P. Coughlin-Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

NEW YORK (TIP): Gov. Cuomo announced Thursday, May 21 that summer school isn’t happening in New York. It is “still too early”, he said, to say if students will be allowed back into their classrooms in the fall amid an uptick in cases of children developing potentially deadly inflammatory symptoms from coronavirus.

Speaking at a press briefing in Manhattan, Cuomo reported that the State Department of Health is now investigating 157 cases of kids developing inflammatory symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease after contracting COVID-19 — a two-fold increase since last week.

At least five children in New York have died from the terrifying symptoms, and Cuomo said there’s too many unknowns about the coronavirus-linked illness for him to feel comfortable about allowing in-person summer school to proceed.

New York schools have been closed since mid-March, when the pandemic first thrust its fangs into the state, depriving millions of students of traditional classroom learning.

The governor didn’t rule out keeping schools shuttered into the fall semester.

“It’s still too early to make that determination,” he said.

Cuomo said the state will issue guidelines to schools and colleges in mid-June so they can start developing plans for potentially reopening in the fall with social distancing in mind. Academic institutions will in turn have to submit those plans for approval at some point in July, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said he hasn’t made up his mind on summer camps yet, though he appeared to lean toward at least keeping day camps closed, again referencing the coronavirus-caused inflammatory symptoms.

“Should I send my children to day camp? Is it safe? Until we have this answer on this pediatric syndrome; as a parent, until I know how widespread this is, as a parent I would not send my children to day camp,” he said. “And if I won’t send my children to day camp, I wouldn’t ask anybody to send their children to day camp. It’s that simple.”

Cuomo did not say whether sleep away camps could be an option but promised to make a decision soon.

Though rare, the Kawasaki disease-like syndrome can be extremely dangerous, as it attacks blood vessels throughout the body and can cause lethal toxic shock in children, according to researchers.

Cuomo said scientists are still trying to figure out if some children are more prone to the symptoms.

“They are still exploring this,” he said.

The summer school announcement came as New York saw some good news on the coronavirus front.

Cuomo reported that new cases, hospitalizations and intubations were all trending downward, confirming the state’s coronavirus curve is continuing in the right direction.

“We got over the mountain,” he said.

Still, another 105 New Yorkers died from coronavirus overnight, bringing the state’s total death toll above 23,000. The tragic daily count has stayed effectively flat for nearly a week.

(With inputs from Daily News)

 

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