New York schools are officially closed for the rest of the year

New York schools are officially closed for the rest of the school year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.

Following the lead of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Cuomo said Friday that schools and colleges in the state wouldn't reopen even if his New York PAUSE Act continues past May 15. Non-essential businesses are still closed until at least that time to stem the spread of COVID-19.

New York, especially its biggest city, have become the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis both in the U.S. and in the world. New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio had already announced that city schools would remain shut through the remainder of the school year, prompting a bit of a spat between him and Cuomo. Cuomo said the shutdown decision remained with him and called de Blasio's announcement merely his "opinion."

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Cuomo declined to speculate on whether schools would reopen normally in the fall. A decision on summer school will happen by the end of May, Cuomo said, and summer camps will open according to "regional decisions," Cuomo said.