NYC Eliminates 'Two-Case Rule' For Coronavirus School Closures

NEW YORK CITY — The city's two-case threshold for automatically closing public schools with coronavirus cases is going away.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced the city will replace the so-called "two-case rule" with a new, as-yet-undefined standard in the coming days.

He said the city will also extend an opt-in deadline until Friday for parents to choose in-person schooling.

"A lot of parents have said to us the two-case rule obviously has led to an extraordinary number of closures," he said. "We know that any other standard will lead to a lot fewer closures."

More than 100 school buildings are under automatic closures because of coronavirus cases, according to the Department of Education.

Concern over frequent closures and disruptions has proved a potential stumbling block for parents weighing whether to switch their kids from fully remote to in-person, de Blasio said.

But while de Blasio stressed eliminating the two-case rule would provide more stability, he repeatedly refused to comment on what coronavirus closure standard will replace it, other than an announcement will be made soon.

De Blasio and Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter said the city's schools will continue their "gold standard" safety criteria.

Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said measures such as rigorous coronavirus testing and 65,000 staff vaccinations have kept the positivity rate in schools to 0.57 percent.

"For all of these reasons, there is clear net benefit to revising the two-case threshold for school closures," Chokshi said. "We recognize that repeated closures result in social, emotional and educational harm to kids and families."

Parents can opt their children into in-person learning by clicking here.