Mar 19, 2021, 4:48 PM
(From The New York Times) In a major policy revision, federal health officials have relaxed the six-foot distancing rule for elementary school students, saying they need only remain three feet apart in classrooms as long as everyone is wearing a mask. The three-foot rule also now applies to students in middle schools and high schools, as long as community transmission is not high, officials said. When transmission is high, however, these students must be at least six feet apart, unless they are taught in cohorts, or small groups that are kept separate from others. Teachers and other adults who work in schools must continue to maintain a six foot distance from other adults and from students, officials said. Though the statement is intended to encourage more schools to welcome children back to in-person instruction, teachers’ unions across the country have argued forcefully for six-feet of distancing, and have lobbied the C.D.C. and the Biden administration to maintain the previous guidance.
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