As two schools in the Bronx closed because a student tested positive for coronavirus, parents of children from surrounding schools began pulling their kids out of classes over fears of the spreading contagion.
A sign on the door of MS223 that houses the two schools said, “The buildings is temporarily closed as a coronavirus precaution.” It did little to calm fears of parents who were pulling children from nearby schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday morning that the Laboratory School of Finance and Technology and the South Bronx Preparatory: A College Board School, both housed in the same building on East 145th Street and Willis Avenue, would be closed due to “a student’s self-confirmed positive case of COVID-19.”
In the announcement, the mayor’s office said the Health Department detectives would be tracing that student’s contacts and recommend quarantine of that student any others if necessary. In the meantime, the school will be disinfected and cleaned for an initial 24 hour period.
While no other cases have been detected in that community and medical professionals saying the virus has little effect on children, many parents were taking no chances.
“It’s very concerning — there is no vaccine for it and the only way to protect from it is to stay in your house,” said Jose Roldan with his son Jose, 13, who he took out of a charter school across from the building effected.
“I’m not taking a chance even though they say it doesn’t effect kids. Too many people are dying, and what they say now, but they are not certain so I’m not taking a chance with my son,” said Roldan as other parents gathered from other schools with their children.
“I was scared,” said Olivia Peralta, who was walking with her children Kevin and Ashley. “I just don’t know what to think.”
Airel Beloz took his 3-year-old son Jacob out of the Sunshine Daycare Center across the street from the school.
“I took him out of school because they are panicking too,” Beloz said “I do transportation with Board of Ed – I have my own Lysol spray. I came to the school this morning and asked them if it was true about the school across the street and they said ‘yes.’ People are scared about it and there is no cure – we should all be aware.”
Beloz added that people need to take the proper hygiene and sanitize their hands and their face when they can.
“Look what is going on in Italy, they have to decide to save lives or let people die – they have to make choices.”
Tatiana Fontanez, 13, Legacy College Prep down the block from the closed building, walked with her sweatshirt pulled over her nose and mouth out of fear of catching coronavirus.
“There was a rumor of someone had the coronavirus – I just heard it, and decided to go home because I don’t want to be infected,” Fontanez said as she stood with her father, David Cuca who signed her out. “I feel I want to go home – I’m scared and they didn’t want to let me out so I called my dad to pick me up.”
She said she washes her hands more often and makes sure she doesn’t “touch things and people.”
“After school, I go straight home,” Fontanez said.
Her father agreed.
“She called me and said please take me out – a lot of kids go home,” Cuca said. “Yes, I’m panicking and I don’t want a chance of her getting it.”
