Last Thursday, the Health Department announced that it closed two schools in Williamsburg for failing to comply with the commissioner’s order during the measles outbreak.
UTA of Williamsburg – Yeshiva Torah V’Yirah, located at 590 Bedford Avenue, was closed for failing to provide sufficient proof of immunity for a child who was present at the school. It was also closed for allowing unvaccinated children and staff on site.
UTA 212, located at 212 Williamsburg Street, was also closed for allowing 35 students who were either unvaccinated or did not have the required number of doses of the MMR vaccine to attend the school.
Health officials say the schools will not be allowed to reopen until the Health Department reviews and approves a submitted corrective action plan.
To date, the department has closed 10 schools, including UTA of Williamsburg once before, for failing to comply with orders.
“The spread of measles may be slowing down but we are not,” Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the health commissioner, said. “This is a message to all schools that have been ordered to exclude unvaccinated children – we will not stop our enforcement until this outbreak comes to an end.”
As of June 11, 588 cases of measles have been confirmed since the beginning of the outbreak. 437 cases, or 74 percent have occurred in Williamsburg.