We have a Stringent Health and safety standard right now. We will have to raise that higher to be able to bring our schools back, and that is what we intend to do. We will have to focus more on testing. I want to emphasize testing is going to be crucial to the successful reopening of our schools. And everyone has to get engaged even more in testing. I guarantee you part of the plan will be an even heavier emphasis on testing, and therefore want to say to everybody in the stool School Communities we need to get the testing consent forms in this moment of pause. We need to get ready to come back and get the consent forms and so we can get into an even deeper testing regime. The state, the governor and i spoke. Some of the additional measures were laid out that the state will be taking quite soon in new york city. Across the board that will affect a number of different industries, different parts of life of this city, because we are dealing with a bigger problem all over new york city and stayed, all over the country and the region. We have to do more to fight back the second wave. Clear,te has made additional restrictions are coming soon. What we are focused on now is making sure we are working with all families to get them the Remote Learning they need in the interim, that we are putting more stringent measures to get schools back up and running soon , that we can protect new yorkers across the board working to take the right steps to make sure we address the kind of activities that might create a particular danger and keep people safe. It will come back every single time to the basics, the mask wearing, getting the tests. We will go deeper on that. Before a turn to the chancellor, i want to affirm that as much as we arent happy today this moment was reached, we are resolved to keep fighting. Thats what new yorkers do. We will overcome this moment. Thank god we are having the conversation with two vaccines on the horizon. And the fact we expect a lot of support from washington Going Forward on a variety of fronts. We will fight this back. It is a setback, but a setback we will overcome. Our chancellor and everyone at the doe is sad this moment has come, but now they are resolute about making sure we serve families and kids in the meantime, and getting back up and running with our schools as quickly as possible. Let me turn to our chancellor now. Thank you, mr. Mayor. You are right. This is not a happy day for us in the department. Its been a very challenging year in so many ways, to say the least. Our schools have opened and are remarkably safe with a. 19 Positivity Rate. Also safe havens for our children. Our students need that interaction. We feel a deep sense of commitment to making sure we can do in Person Learning. It is physically safe to do so. Just this morning, i was visiting ps 73 in the bronx, i want to give a shout out to the principal. The smiles and interaction of her teachers, from the students, the love and support they were showing for those students is something i cannot wait, and i know you cant wait to see again very soon. Uscarry the emergency with as we announce the temporary closure. I want to emphasize we are looking at it as a temporary closure. We will get students back in buildings as soon as we can safely. Its our number one priority and focus to get our students back in person as soon as possible. We are committed to making sure our students have what they need to be successful. Remindrind everyone listening that school is in session. We are pivoting to a remote instruction rather than the in Person Instruction some of our students have received. Session, still in students will still continue to learn and be supported by our teachers. To remind families we will communicate with families about advice, support, and tips for Remote Learning. In addition, free meals for all students will still be available. This is critically important. But suppose will work with staff to make sure there are windows of time to pick up materials over the next several days. And as needed through this time. We have focused on these challenges before, and we learned a great deal together. New yorkers have proven they are ready and willing to fight against this virus. We need to ask you that again. Its important we follow the safety protocols. The holidays with coming, but its important we follow the advice of our medical professionals so we can get back to in Person Learning as quickly as possible. Thats how we will get schools back open in Person Learning. Tirelessful for the efforts of our educators, staff, and i know our students and families, as well. Advice andw the guidance, lets take on this challenge as we have done all along, and together, we will get through this. We will all get back to in Person Learning as quickly as possible. Thank you so much. A put in perspective, we made decision to have the most stringent standards, in terms of the Gold Standard we put together to bring back schools, health and Safety Measures we put in place. Kids, educators, and staff safe. We said the 3 standard mattered. New york city is in the middle of a battle. We are at 3 . Is jersey, our neighbor, now at 8 . Chicago is at 16 . We are in the midst of a challenge, and we cannot let this challenge deepen. We also need to take heart from the fact we have held off on the second wave as we have so far. Theres more work to be done. Thats why we will need additional restrictions, and everyone to participate even more. Everyone get tested, pay attention, and act on the precautions we are asking everyone to be a part of. It will make a difference. We have a challenge, we will fight back the challenge. The daily number of people admitted, 200 patients. Today, 114. Thank god that number remains lower than the other indicators. We still see our Hospital System doing well. The confirmed Positivity Rate continues to go up. 43. 86 , among those patients. Number two, new reported case on a seven day average. 1200, much higher than we want it to be. The percentage of people testing citywide, positive for covid19, 5 . Today is 2. 75. The number we looked at consistently is the seven day rolling average. That is exactly 3. 00 . I will say a few words in spanish. Spanish] with that, lets turn to our colleagues. Let me know the name and outlet of each journalist. We are joined today by the chancellor, the doctor, and the senior advisor. First question goes to jen peltz. Do we have you . We will try one more time. Can you hear us . Thank you very much, sorry about that. I am going to withdraw my question to one of my colleagues. Turn to emme fitzsimmons from the new york times. Good afternoon. We have been waiting for this announcement. Can you explain the delay, do you want to apologize to parents waiting anxiously for an answer . Were you trying to find a way to keep schools open . I think parents know, and they have watched me and the chancellor, we have always tried to find a way to keep schools open throughout. This morning, getting the data exactly on the nose of 3. 00 , we wanted to make sure it was 100 accurate. We spent time confirming that, working with the state, what the next steps would be. We also got a larger discussion with the Governors Team about what we will do overall, in terms of restrictions for new york city, and what it would take to bring back schools. We will have an update in the next couple of days on the plan to bring back the schools, the additional standards needed, certainly involving more testing. We warned parents this moment might come. We have to be 100 sure we were accurate. We had to have that conversation with the state they have the ultimate authority. We had to get that conversation to get everyone on the same page. We were also wondering about devices. How many kids still dont have devices, and what will you be doing in the next few weeks to make sure Remote Learning is better . I think the chancellor said this system needed 77,000 devices like ipads. Continue to be delivered. And we got the update from the chancellor. Work student by student if there is a problem with service. A lot of concerns about kids in shelter. We have technicians going out to the shelters working family to make sure the service is working. It doesnt end. That continues through the school year. Never a kid needs a new device, or there is a problem, that service will be provided. Anyone having a problem should call 311. Talk about the numbers and effort to make sure kids in need of devices stop them from going home. Thehe issue continues to be supplyside issue. New york city, along with every School System in the world is ordering devices from every manufacturer. In many cases, we have been at the top of the lists. Approximately 40,000 devices that have either arrived or will by the end of the week. We have lists prioritized that schools have provided to us, given the information families have provided to schools. We are getting those devices out as soon as we get them. We get them set up, we have cards installed. Thats closer to about 60,000 devices in the orbit of students that need a device. Overve ordered a little 100,000 devices to meet that need. Hadhe interim, schools have time to prepare, prepared paper packets of assignments and different kinds of things students have to complete. To bridge that time gap between students that meet need the device and actually get the device. Important incredibly families stay close to their schools. They can also go to the department of education website, schools. Nyc. G ovi. There is a link where they can connect with any support they on, orr either logging their email account, or any conductivity issues. Continuouse a process of getting devices in the hands of students. We know schools have assigned their own in School Devices for students to take home during this time. All of that is happening as we speak. And as we receive the devices, we continue getting them in the hands of students. The next is rich lam. Good afternoon. Appears you and the governor are using two different sets of numbers, how is that possible at this point . Can you get on the same page . Does it make sense . The state and city throughout have had a different system. Its not news, it has been reported before. It is not surprising the Different Levels of government might have different approaches. They lead up in the same direction consistently. State and city strategies have been highly aligned throughout. Each entity, and it is true with any part of the federal government, has its own approach. What we know is we put forward a standard related to the schools based on the citys way of counting testing. Thats on the day the test was taken. Not when the test result arrives, the day it was taken. The beste its approach, thats the standard we use for our indicators, thats related to our schools. The state understands that. We have all communicated and we understand thats the approach we are taking. Our commitment is always to provide the most accurate and valid data we possibly can. We know what momentous decisions are made based on the accuracy of that data. One of the major differences in the way that we count test positivity, the percentage positivity, is by ensuring we test based on the date a is taken, rather than the date we learned about the results from the test. This becomes important when we see an increase in cases, as we are now. It allows us to see the trends over time. Thats one of the key things we have to discern to make good decisions based on the accuracy of the data. I think its important what he said, the state of new york and city of new york both squarely fall in the health care conservative philosophy. There is no doubt about it. When you look at the history of coronavirus in the country, new york city and new york state have been amongst the most cautious datadriven, science driven entities, jurisdictions in the whole country. Both of our standards are interpreted with a very focused approach to protecting Peoples Health and safety. Hours are particularly conservative, as the commissioner pointed out. State and city have followed the same path, and a lot of other places have not. Go ahead. If you are talking about more stringent standards, you did say more testing in the schools. Rollthat mean you would back the rolling number would have to be lower than 3 for you to bring the schools back, is that what you are saying . Thats not what im saying. I appreciate the question. A biggertand there is in this problem bigger problem in this country affecting us. Our schools have been extraordinarily safe. To protect School Communities, we will have to put different measures in place. We are talking with the state on what those should be. One thing i can tell you would be an emphasis on testing. One thing i will be adamant about is when we reopen, everyone who comes into that school building, all the kids have to have a testing consent on file so we can test them whenever we need to. Testing will become more of the norm. It has been crucial to protecting everyone. Point which we were having conversations with the state in detail about what the reopening standard will be, i expect the announcement some point this week of what the reopening standard will be, and we will apply it as quickly as we can put the pieces together. Its so we can get to that reopening. Those details will be worked on. The one thing i can say for sure is a lot of testing will be necessary. Moderator the next is Christina Viega from chalkbeat. Reporter hi, mayor. Thanks for taking my question. I would love to hear a little bit more about how long this might last. We keep hearing that this is temporary, but were also hearing that the requirements to reopen are still being developed. Can you give us a sense of how long this might last . Mayor de blasio absolutely. I think speaking to my fellow parents about how to prepare you know, i said last friday get ready for this and get ready to have alternative arrangements. I know thats not easy. Its very tough for parents and for some parents, Single Parents in particular, really, really tough. I dont say it with anything but sorrow, but we gave people a warning to think about it for the remainder of this month. So, certainly, through thanksgiving school will be closed. Were going to see with the state how quickly we can finalize those standards and then what well have to do to meet those standards. That week after thanksgiving is the earliest, but were not yet able to say that will be then or a point thereafter, but we have real work to do, which i think we can do quickly to finish those standards and then put together the action plan to make them come to pass. Again, heavy emphasis on testing, and were going to be deploying a lot of our Testing Capacity towards the schools under this new model, even much more than weve done previously, but certainly parents should assume, obviously were closed for the rest of this week and the days leading up to thanksgiving. In the meantime, well fill in that blank, christina and make very clear what the plan is to come back. Go ahead. Reporter my next question the last time we had a citywide school shutdown, there was the School Emergency rec centers. You said learning bridges will remain open. Can you talk about how enrollment will work, how much space you have, and whether they will be able to attend fulltime . Correct, its a different model, but it will help us achieve some of the thing some of the same things. So, ill get the specifics in front of me. I know there was some city testimony earlier to give some of the details on what attendance has been so far, but i can tell you, the bottom line is essential workers will have a preference for the learning bridges seats for their kids, and theres other folks who are prioritized. Families in shelters, for example, and families that have particular challenges. So, were going to make those seats available. We have seen surprisingly little uptake on the learning bridges seats so far. Obviously this moment will mean more people will want them, but we dont know how many. But we certainly feel confidence based on the experience we had with the Regional Enrichment Centers that well have the seats for essential workers who need them, and then if we need to keep adding, we can quickly ramp up toward the number we originally projected. But so far, christina, its actually been very low enrollment in the scheme of things. So, theres certainly a Space Available right now for the families who are going to need it right away. Moderator the next is katie frm the wall street journal. Reporter hey, good morning. Mayor de blasio. My question, i guess, following up from christinas question is why wasnt there a reopening first created or came up or agreed upon by the city at other entities . I know that we had a [inaudible] decided, but shouldnt every possibility have been explored, but [inaudible] . Mayor yeah, katie perfectly far question. I think we set a stringent standard with the 3 , extremely conservative standard. We have now seen changing conditions, things that have been much better than people projected, in terms of the safety of the schools, the low positivity level, but we have seen this resurgence around the country, which has added additional challenges. As we were going about the work for our schools, this day seemed far off, thankfully, as it has come closer, there have been a lot of moving parts and changes. Under any scenario, to turn to a new system takes transition time. We know it has to be a more stringent system. Isse next days, none of us happy about it, but it will be the retooling time to figure out how to most quickly get school back, and with whatever standards we need, and work with the state to make it come to life. But there are some cases when dealing with changing situations, you need the best information, the most recent information, and now we know what we are up against and what it will take to our schools. Reporter question my second reporter my second question is about the threshold date when it comes in, looking at the updated number mayor de blasio yeah, katie, can i just stop you for a second . Your voice is skipping a lot, so im not getting your whole sentence. Could you try again . Reporter sure. So