Gov. Hochul: We Are Keeping Schools Open

HOCHUL We ll be ░░░░░░░░ a lot of testing ░░░░░░░░ to schools and here ░░░░░░░░ why we are keeping ░░░░░░░░ schools open Let me ░░░░░░░░ that We are keeping ░░░░░░░░ open because we re ░░░░░░░░ with a very different ░░░░░░░░ at this time We ░░░░░░░░ that it s critically ░░░░░░░░ that our children not ░░░░░░░░ up in that same ░░░░░░░░ they were for so ░░░░░░░░ months when they were ░░░░░░░░ displaced from their normal ░░░░░░░░ they did not get ░░░░░░░░ quality of education despite ░░░░░░░░ best efforts of those ░░░░░░░░ teachers and parents who ░░░░░░░░ every single day alongside ░░░░░░░░ children just to deal ░░░░░░░░ these circumstances we dealt ░░░░░░░░ last time We re ░░░░░░░░ a different environment a ░░░░░░░░ circumstance And so part ░░░░░░░░ our winter surge plan ░░░░░░░░ we are committed to ░░░░░░░░ our schools open And ░░░░░░░░ we wanted to make ░░░░░░░░ that school districts will ░░░░░░░░ the test to stay ░░░░░░░░ and make sure that ░░░░░░░░ re no longer required ░░░░░░░░ have a PCR test ░░░░░░░░ kids to return but ░░░░░░░░ a rapid test But ░░░░░░░░ are they going to ░░░░░░░░ access to those tests ░░░░░░░░ we ll help out ░░░░░░░░ it we ll take ░░░░░░░░ That is why we ░░░░░░░░ in communication right now ░░░░░░░░ the school superintendents There ░░░░░░░░ a short break between ░░░░░░░░ and January 1st January ░░░░░░░░ when the kids are ░░░░░░░░ And as we ve ░░░░░░░░ already 2 million of ░░░░░░░░ tests we have will ░░░░░░░░ going right to the ░░░░░░░░ and parents will be ░░░░░░░░ to receive them And ░░░░░░░░ s what we want ░░░░░░░░ have happen Children are ░░░░░░░░ a classroom someone tests ░░░░░░░░ Ordinarily they would have ░░░░░░░░ sent home for a ░░░░░░░░ period of time And ░░░░░░░░ even if someone they ░░░░░░░░ back someone tests positive ░░░░░░░░ the next week they ░░░░░░░░ sent home again This ░░░░░░░░ so disruptive to their ░░░░░░░░ as well as the ░░░░░░░░ who ve been desperately ░░░░░░░░ to get back to ░░░░░░░░ normal life get back ░░░░░░░░ their jobs And the ░░░░░░░░ of childcare has been ░░░░░░░░ another area of friction ░░░░░░░░ these families that have ░░░░░░░░ really hit so hard ░░░░░░░░ we ll be literally ░░░░░░░░ sure that there s ░░░░░░░░ their backpacks they will ░░░░░░░░ sent home two testing ░░░░░░░░ Children test positive we ░░░░░░░░ it someone in the ░░░░░░░░ the kids in the ░░░░░░░░ will be sent home ░░░░░░░░ testing kits So we ░░░░░░░░ working on that supply ░░░░░░░░ right now So starting ░░░░░░░░ early January we will ░░░░░░░░ able to address that ░░░░░░░░ there s no reason ░░░░░░░░ our children can t ░░░░░░░░ in school Really really ░░░░░░░░ to me.”