New York City has been ordered to close its schools amid a Covid-19 spike.
The decision to close the US's largest public school system comes as positive test rates for the virus surpassed the 3% threshold.
It will affect some 300,000 children.
New York, where 35,000 residents have died with coronavirus, was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US in the spring. It now appears to be facing a new wave.
A letter from New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza released on Wednesday informed parents that all schools would close and classrooms would immediately shift to online learning "until further notice".
The decision to close the schools is in contrast to measures in Europe, where businesses have closed but schools largely remain open.
The move, which represents a major backslide for the city's' coronavirus recovery, has also left parents scrambling for last-minute childcare options.
[Source: BBC]
