About 1 million New York City schoolchildren have returned to full-time education

Educational institutions in the largest school district in the United States, New York City, have opened their doors to students. This is reported by CNN.

Classes were first transferred to a remote format due to the spread of the coronavirus in March 2020, depending on the epidemiological situation in the city, they were partially conducted in the walls of schools or again completely converted into an online format. Now, at the beginning of the school year, face-to-face classes are mandatory for all students, the channel points out.

The conditions for such a decision were prepared by the vaccination campaign for children and school staff. According to CNN, last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 65% of students aged 12 to 17 had been vaccinated with at least one dose. In addition, authorities in the metropolis have required teachers and other educators, who number about 148,000, according to Axios, to be vaccinated with at least one dose by Sept. 27. Last week, the city’s education authorities reported that 74 percent of teachers had been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Schoolchildren over the age of 12 are encouraged to get vaccinated, but are not required to do so, the channel explains. However, this does not apply to those who participate in extracurricular activities with an “increased risk” of infection. Regular testing for the coronavirus will be administered to ensure the safety of children under age 12. Teachers and their mentees in schools are expected to wear masks and maintain a social distance whether or not they have been vaccinated.

According to city officials, an average of 1,144 confirmed cases of infection per day were detected in New York City over the past week, with 66 people admitted to hospitals and eight deaths each.

On Sept. 9, Joe Biden’s administration decided to order companies with more than 100 employees to require employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. It also made vaccination mandatory for all employees of the U.S. federal government and its contractors.