A yeshiva in Queens continued holding in-person classes on Tuesday, contradicting a declaration from the Mayor's Office that the school was shut down after more than a dozen students tested positive for coronavirus.
A spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, Bill Neidhardt, told Gothamist that the city made the decision on Monday night to shutter classes at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway beginning on Tuesday.
Politico first reported the apparent shutdown, noting that at least 13 students had tested positive for the virus, with another half dozen cases suspected.
But calls to Yeshiva Darchei Torah — which enrolls more than 2,000 students in all grade levels — confirmed that in-person classes were still in session on Tuesday, despite the outbreak.
"Yes we're here. The boys are here. Everybody's here," a woman who answered the phone at Darchei and declined to be named told Gothamist. "The boys are in class with the Rebbeim. Everybody's learning."
Shortly before noon on Tuesday, Rabbi Yaakov Bender, who founded the prestigious all-boys school, emailed parents informing them that the school was "in compliance with all published City, State and Federal government rules and regulations."
He acknowledged there was "a concern that the Yeshiva may have to close because of a proposal from the City of New York," but said the school was confident that they'd reach a "reasonable and amicable resolution" with the Health Department.
"We are working feverishly to resolve any issues and will keep you updated," he added.
In emails with Gothamist, the mayor's press secretary seemed to believe the school had already switched over to remote learning in line with the city's recommendation.
"Following discussions with senior City Department of Health officials and the yeshiva leadership, we have proposed moving the school to remote learning for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to complete a health investigation and protect students and staff from COVID transmission, given evidence of cases across multiple age levels," Neidhardt said in a statement.
"We believe this is the safest approach to track down the cause of over a dozen lab-confirmed COVID cases across the school," he added.
Mayor de Blasio has faced criticism for his reluctance to enforce COVID-19 restrictions in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, even as some community leaders have responded to city and state regulations with open defiance.
This weekend, hundreds of Hasidic men crowded into the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights — a venue that healthcare professionals believe has been associated with many positive cases.
Ahead of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, the leading Orthodox advocacy and religious authority released a decree stating that worshippers should not change any part of their prayer routine.
UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: Administrators at Yeshiva Darchei Torah have agreed to move to virtual instruction, after Department of Health officials arrived at the school on Tuesday and ordered it shut down.
"It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that the Yeshiva will be closed for in-person learning for the next several days," Rabbi Yaakov Bender wrote to parents in an email on Tuesday afternoon. "The Health Department officials are currently in our building and have begun discussions with our safety committee. We have offered our continued full cooperation and transparency."
City Hall officials said they were in communication throughout the day with school, which initially resisted the city's orders to cancel class on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Health Department confirmed to Gothamist that 13 students have tested positive for COVID-19 and six other suspected cases pending lab results.
