NYC schools to be all in-person in the fall

New York City's school system, the largest in the country, will offer no remote learning option in the fall, requiring all of its 1.1 million students to attend classes in person.

The move is a major step toward normalcy for what was once the epicenter of the pandemic.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement Monday.

"Every single child will be back in the classroom. I have talked to so many parents who have been wanting to hear this confirmed and I am confirming it, once and for all. We are going to have plenty of protections in place."

That includes face masks - which will still be required for students. But what about social distancing in the classroom?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require students to be three feet apart but de Blasio says he expects those rules to change - before the start of the next school year.

"We have seen the CDC moving constantly with the data. The fact is clear to me that as more data comes in, more progress, they're going to make adjustments."

In the current school year, the system has offered a hybrid weekly schedule, in which students attend classes in person some days, remote on others.

Some parents also opted to keep their children home for remote learning altogether.

those options will not be offered in September.

The decision to open schools fully comes as positivity rates for COVID-19 in New York and the country have settled into a sustained decline as more people become vaccinated, with new cases also dropping.

New York City is not alone in declaring a full reopening.

Governor Phil Murphy in neighboring New Jersey declared that his state's schools would no longer offer a remote-learning option in September, following similar moves by other states.