Washington, D.C.—Today, in response to the continued spread of COVID-19 through New York City, Representatives Nadler, Maloney, Meng, Velázquez, Rose, Ocasio-Cortez, Jeffries, Clarke, Engel, Meeks, Serrano, and Espaillat issued a statement calling for the closure of all New York City schools:

"With New York City having declared a state of emergency, the time has come for Mayor de Blasio to announce the closure of all New York City schools for the foreseeable future. With over 1.1 million children enrolled in New York City’s public schools, closing the schools is the most reliable method available to ensure the health and safety of New York children and families. It is only through school closure that we can ensure a uniform standard of social distancing, limit further transmission and spread of COVID-19, and keep our city safe.

"This decision is not one that we take lightly—we all recognize the central role that schools play in the social fabric of New Yorkers’ lives. Schools are much more than educational hubs; they provide hundreds of thousands of children with daily meals and guarantee childcare so that millions of parents can go to work. As we plan for school closures, Mayor de Blasio must ensure that homeless and food insecure children can continue to maintain access to the food and resources they depend on during the school day.

"We recognize that this will be a difficult task to accomplish, but the city needs to articulate possible plans now so that families across our city can have an understanding of what the situation will be during school closures. This is not an easy decision to make but it is the responsible one and the right one—the consequences of not closing schools are simply too severe. We stand united in our readiness to support the Mayor however he needs and our offices are readily available to anyone seeking assistance."