8 Dec

Schoolchildren in New York City returned to classrooms on Monday following nearly two weeks of closures due to high coronavirus infection rates.

The city shut down public schools on November 19, with classes taking place online since then.

In-person classes were resumed on Monday at public kindergartens and elementary schools across the city.

At one elementary school, children had their temperatures taken before they entered the premises.

One mother accompanying her daughter said that although children can learn online, it was slower than learning in classrooms.

She added that she was excited about the return to in-person teaching as online study can be frustrating for children.

New York City has a policy of suspending in-person classes when the weekly average rate of positive coronavirus tests hits 3 percent. The city's rate was above the threshold on Monday.

But the city reviewed the policy and decided to reopen schools after parents and others took to the streets calling for the restart of in-person classes, dissatisfied with the quality of online lessons.

NHK