These 2 Harlem Schools Are Closed For Coronavirus Cases

HARLEM, NY — Two school buildings in Harlem sat shuttered due to coronavirus cases this week, days after thousands of middle schoolers returned for in-person learning for the first time in months.

The two Harlem buildings that are closed are elementary schools, which have been open for in-person classes since December. That number of closures is also smaller than in some recent weeks — in mid-January, for example, 12 Harlem schools were closed after confirming cases of COVID-19.

The longer of the two current closures is at P.S. 28 on West 155th Street, which has been closed since Feb. 25. Cases were confirmed in three separate classrooms at P.S. 28, starting on Feb. 24, according to the map of active cases by the Department of Education.

The other current shutdown is at P.S. 83 on East 109th St. in East Harlem, which closed for at least 24 hours starting Monday, following the confirmation of at least two cases in separate classrooms.

School buildings are required to close temporarily when at least two COVID-19 cases linked to each other are confirmed in separate classrooms. Temporary closures are extended to 10 days when infections occurred outside of school or a link cannot be determined.

As of Sunday evening, the number of temporary or extended building closures across the city stood at 75 — a major drop from January's record high of 373. A total of 613 classrooms were closed this week due to the virus.