John F. Kennedy Jr. School in Elmhurst (Google Maps)
Oct. 1, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The city shut down an Elmhurst special education high school for 14 days after two unrelated positive COVID-19 cases were found.
The Department of Health closed John F. Kennedy Jr. School P721Q, located at 57-12 94th St., for two weeks beginning Sept. 29, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during a press conference Thursday.
The District 75 school will teach its 262 students, who opted for in-person classes, all remotely until the building reopens on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
De Blasio said it’s the first school in the city’s massive public school system to close for two weeks as teachers and students head back to classrooms.
Other schools have been closed for a 24-hour period due to positive COVID-19 cases, but it’s the first time an entire school has been shut for two weeks, the mayor added.
The city’s school reopening guidelines mandate that a school be automatically closed for two weeks if two cases in the same building are found to be independent of one another.
John F. Kennedy Jr. School administrators sent out a letter to the school community notifying them of the closure.
The letter also states that close contacts of the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been identified and are quarantining.
