New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s public pools will not open this summer as a result of a major budget crunch brought on by the coronavirus.
His comments came Thursday and were detailed in a report by NY1.
The move to keep the pools closed is expected to save the city $12 million. The mayor said there has been no decision yet on whether to open the city’s public beaches.
"Where we can cut, we will, but where it comes to protecting New Yorkers — we will not cut that," de Blasio said.
And the Queens Daily Eagle quoted him as adding: “I don’t want to create a situation where people start gathering. If things evolve, we’ll assess our options going forward.”
De Blasio outlined $6 billion worth of budget cuts. The New York Post said popular daycare and after school programs are on the chopping block.
“Our top priorities are simple: we will keep people safe, protect their health, make sure there is a roof over their head and that food is on their table,” de Blasio said.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.