New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is facing a wave of criticism this week over his refusal to shut down New York City public schools in response to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

According to a report by the New York Post, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is facing mounting criticism over his refusal to shut down the New York City public school system.

Breitbart News reported last week that universities and colleges around the country are shutting down their campus as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. But some public school systems have hesitated to close schools over concerns that young students would be without parental supervision during an extended shutdown.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, called on de Blasio to reverse course and shut down the public school system.

“We understand the immense disruption this will create for our families,” Mulgrew said. “But right now, more than a million students and staff crisscross the city every day on their way to schools, putting themselves and others at risk of exposure and increasing the likelihood of bringing exposure into their homes and communities.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo defended de Blasio’s reluctance to shut down the public school system. “To do mass closings of schools is not without consequence,” Cuomo said. “You close schools, now what do you do with those children who are home all day? You close schools, you now have parents who can’t go to work, you have parents who are working in health-care facilities who can’t go to work, so it’s not that easy.”

The Catholic Church’s Diocese of Brooklyn announced last week that it would shut down their schools in Brooklyn and Queens to prevent further spreading of the virus. Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio even announced on Friday that attendance at Sunday mass is optional for local Catholics.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.