Mayor Eric Adams says kids safe in school despite virus surge

Mayor Eric Adams

The new New York City mayor talks to Good Day New York.

NEW YORK - The new mayor insisted Monday that New York City public schools would open for in-person learning despite an omicron-fueled surge in COVID-19 infections, saying administrative staffers would pinch-hit for absent teachers.

"The safest place for children is in a school building," Democrat Eric Adams said on FOX 5's Good Day New York.

Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, announced a plan last week to reopen schools after the holiday break with increased surveillance COVID-19 testing and at-home COVID-19 tests sent home with students who have an infected classmate.

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NYC schools resume classes

New York City schoolchildren returned to classrooms on Monday despite a surge in COVID-19 infections over the holiday break.

Adams, who took office on Saturday, said the plan will ensure that students are safe.

The United Federation of Teachers has asked Adams to postpone in-person learning for a week to assess potential staffing shortages given the rise in COVID-19 cases across the city and the nation.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told Good Day New York that is a major concern.

"We do not have enough substitutes to fill in all the blanks," Mulgrew said. "We're looking between 20-30 percent absenteeism and that's something we do not have the substitutes to cover that.

"This is going to be a very tough week," Mulgrew added.

The city Department of Education website listed eight schools that were closed because of the virus, out of about 1,700.