New York government slammed by critics for closing schools but not indoor dining

(Image credit: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

published 18 November 2020

New York City schools are closing again (it's unclear for how long) after the city hit the 3 percent coronavirus positivity threshold. The number was agreed upon beforehand, so the news isn't a shocker, but it has already elicited harsh criticism, especially since the rest of New York — restaurants and bars (which allow in-door dining), gyms, hair salons, and museums — remain open.

The decision seems particularly perplexing, per The New York Times, given that New York's school system is not believed to be linked to the city's uptick in COVID-19 cases, and research elsewhere generally has not determined schools to be high-risk zones, at least comparatively. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has himself said spread is more prevalent in bars and restaurants. As some have pointed out, other countries are taking the opposite approach, leaving schools open, while shuttering non-essential businesses.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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