Will schools have to do Covid-19 testing?

GOOD EVENING ONCEAGAIN -- THE ROAD TOREOPENING SCHOOLSHERE IN NEW YORK....HAS TAKEN ACONFUSING TURNTODAY.... AFTER ANANNOUNCEMENTFROM THE GOVERNORCAUGHT MANYSUPERINTENDENTS BYSURPRISE.I'LL TELL YOU WHATTHEY'RE GING TO ASKEVERY SCHOOLDISTRICT.

HOW AREYOU GOING TO TEST?HOW MANY TESTS AREYOU GOING TO TAKE?ARE YOU SURE YOUHAVE THEM LINED UP?ARE YOU SURE THOSEARE ENOUGH TESTS?THE GOVERNOR SAYSSCHOOLS SHOULD BEPREPARED TO TESTSTUDENTS FORCOVID-19.HIS COMMENTS COMEAS SCHOOLS HADJUST SUBMITTEDTHEIR REOPENINGPLANS... AND MANYWERE NOT PREPAREDTO TAKE ON THIS JOB7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER ED REILLYIS SPEAKING TONIGHTWITH LOCALEDUCATION LEADERSABOUT THIS TESTINGCONFUSION.... ANDWHAT'S BEING DONETO MAKE SURESTUDENTS SAFELYRETURN TO SCHOOL.SO IT CAME AS ACURVE BALL.

IT CAMEAS A SURPRISE.

AND ITCAME AS A REALDIFFICULT CHALLENGETO NAVIGATEMARK LAURRIE ISSUPERINTENDENT OFNIAGARA FALLS CITYSCHOOLS.HE SAID HIS DISTRICT -LIKE MANY OTHERS -WAS CAUGHT OFF-GUARD BY THEGOVERNOR'SCOMMENTS THATSCHOOL DISTRICTSMUST BE PREPAREDTO TEST FOR COVID-19.I HAVE RECEIVEDLETTERS SAYING YOUARE NOT TESTING MYCHILD UNDER ANYCIRCUMSTANCES.

THATIS NOT YOUR SKILL ORYOUR STRENGTH,WHICH IS CORRECTLAURRIE SAID THELOGISTICS OFINCLUDING TESTINGINTO A REOPENINGPLAN IS ENORMOUS.THERE ARE PRIVACYISSUES ALONG WITHTHAT.

THERE ARETURNAROUND ISSUESWITH THATLAURIE SAID TESTINGWAS NOT PART OF THEORIGINALPARAMETERS SET BYNYS FOR REOPENING ..

AS SHOWN IN THISPICTURE.WE ARE GETTING TO AN11TH HOUR FORFAMILIES, PARENTSAND THE COMMUNITYLT.

GOVERNOR KATHYHOCHUL INSISTS THETESTINGREQUIREMENTSSHOULD NOT HAVECOME AS A SURPRISE.IF SOMEONE ISSHOWING SYMPTOMSOR BENNSYMPTOMATIC, OR HASBEEN EXPOSED TOPEOPLE, THAT IS NOTUNREASONABLE FORUS TO EXPECT THATTHEY HAVE A PLAN TODEAL WITH THATBUT SOME LIKESUPERINTENDENTLAURIE HAVE REALDOUBTS WHETHERSCHOOLS WILL BEABLE TO REOPEN INJUST A COUPLEWEEKS.THIS IS NOT A JOB THAT"A" THEY KNEW HOW TODO.

AND 'BE' THEYDON'T EVEN KNOWHOW THEY WOULD DOTHATTHE NEW YORK STATESCHOOL BOARDSASSOCIATIONREPRESENTS 700SCHOOLS.IT IS GETTING ANEARFUL FROMCONFUSEDADMINISTRATORS.BUT THE ASSOCIATIONSAID IT HAS HEARINGTHAT STATE HEALTHCOMMISSIONERHOWARD ZUCKER ISCLARIFYING THECONFUSION BY SAYINGSCHOOL DISTRICTSDON'T HAVE TO DOTHE TESTINGTHEMSELVES .

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.BUTHAVE AN OUTSIDEAGENCY - LIKE ACOUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT - READYTO DO THE TESTING.WE WANT TO KNOWWHAT THE RULES ARESO WE CAN GO FORTHAND FGULFILL THOSEOBLIGATIONS TO THEBEST OF OUR ABILITIESON TOP OF THETESTINGCONTROVERSY -COMES CONCERNSFROM UNION ABOUTREOPENING.YOU CAN ALSO MAKEUP FOR AN EDUCATIONBUT YOU CAN'T BRINGSOMEBODY BACK TOLIFEBUFFALO TEACHERSFEDERATIONPRESIDENT PHILRUMORE EXPRESSEDCONCERNS THATSPECIFICS ARELACKING ABOUTHEALTH SAFETY.AND BOTH THE NYSUNITED TEACHERSAND UNITEDFEDERATION OFTEACHERS AREDEMANDING THAT THESTATE ISSUE CLEARPROTOCOLS FOR HOWAND WHEN DISTRICTSMUST CLOSE THEIRBUILDINGS IN THEEVENT OF A POSITIVECOVID-19 CASE.IT IS NOW UP TOGOVERNOR CUOMOWHO PROMISED THATHE WOULD MAKE ADECISION ABOUTWHETHER SCHOOLSCOULD REOPEN THISWEEK.

IN HAMBURG,ED REILLY 7 EW