Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday the nation's largest school system closed less than two weeks ago after the citywide rate of coronavirus tests coming back positive exceeded the 3% benchmark agreed to by the mayor and the teachers union.

De Blasio also told reporters that the 3% benchmark was now being scrapped and pointed to research that shows young Children appeared to be less vulnerable to Cove in 19 on Sunday, the city's seven day rolling average of positive tests was 3.9% De Blasio said.

New York City was one of the few jurisdictions in the U.

S to attempt to reopen schools in the fall as the country continues to struggle with the world's deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus and its efforts are being widely watched.

But it closed classrooms back down in mid November, less than eight weeks after they had begun to offer in class lessons.

Prekindergarten classes will also reopen December 7th.