21 teachers among 50 New York City education employees dead of coronavirus
NEW YORK CITY -- Twenty-one public school teachers in New York City are among 50 Department of Education employees who have died of coronavirus, the department said Monday.
"Our thoughts are with their families, loved ones, and school communities during this difficult time. Upon notification of each passing, the DOE is providing school communities with the mental health and emotional supports to process these losses. We are also supporting staff in notifying their communities in the most appropriate way possible while respecting the wishes of families," the DOE wrote in a statement.
As of April 10, 2020, the 50 employees who have passed as reported by their family members and loved ones:
- 22 are paraprofessionals
- 21 are teachers
- 2 are administrators
- 1 is a facilities staffer
- 1 is a guidance counselor
- 1 is a food service staffer
- 2 central office employees
- 1 employee listed above was also staffing a REC
"This is painful news for too many of our communities-each number represents a life, a member of one of our schools or offices, and the pain their loved ones are experiencing is unimaginable. We will be there to support our students and staff in any way they need, including remote crisis and grief counseling each day. We mourn these losses and will not forget the impact each person had on our DOE family," Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said.
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The NYC Health Department cannot confirm the details or locations of exposure for every case and is not confirming individual cases.
The DOE says the data should not be considered a subset of the Mayor's daily briefings because those numbers are confirmed by the City's Health Department.
"School buildings are not a place of greater exposure than any other part of our city. At this time, everyone should assume they have been exposed because exposure can happen anywhere - this is why we are asking people to please stay home as much as possible," the DOE said.
