The push to reopen schools just got a major boost, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that students no longer need to be spaced 6 feet apart.
Under the revised rules, a distance of 3 feet between children will now be sufficient for all elementary schools and many middle and high schools—which will allow more students to be inside classrooms.
The change comes amid a massive campaign from lawmakers, school districts and parents to get kids back in the classroom after nearly a year of largely remote learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“CDC is committed to leading with science and updating our guidance as new evidence emerges,” the agency’s director, Rochelle Walensky, said Friday in a statement. “These updated recommendations provide the evidence-based roadmap to help schools reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruction.”
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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