CDC Now Says That Three Feet Between Students is Enough, Down From Six Feet

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines for schools Friday, saying three feet of distance between students is sufficient for all elementary and most middle and high schools, a change that lays the groundwork for many districts to reopen full-time for in-person classes.

The announcement came as the CDC published new research that found limited coronavirus transmission in schools that require masks but not always six feet of distance, which had been the standard. That was true even in areas with high community spread of the virus.

Teachers unions opposed the change, and local unions may resist efforts to bring large numbers of students back into school buildings at one time. Many big districts have just recently begun to reopen for part-time, in-person school, and often after tense negotiations with teachers.

Nonetheless, the new guidelines represent a significant reversal from CDC guidance issued last month that schools maintain six feet of distance between people. To achieve that, the CDC said, schools in most of the country should hold off on fully reopening.

That put the CDC at odds with President Biden, who has called on schools to fully reopen.

The February recommendation also came under fire from many experts as overly cautious, particularly as more evidence emerged that schools were safely operating with people closer to one another. Nonetheless, with the guidance in place, many districts adopted hybrid systems, where students are in school buildings part of the time and learning from home the rest.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday that new evidence prompted the change.

“CDC is committed to leading with science and updating our guidance as new evidence emerges,” she said in a statement. “These updated recommendations provide the evidence-based roadmap to help schools reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruction.”

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