New coronavirus guidance issued March 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allows schools to seat masked-up students 3 feet apart instead of 6 feet in classrooms, but that doesn’t mean local administrators are throwing caution to the wind, especially in middle and high schools.
The updated guidelines say spacing in middle and high school classrooms can be reduced if there is not a high level of community transmission of the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. The CDC also advised schools can remove plastic shields and other barriers between desks, but recommended students and others stay 6 feet apart at sporting events, assemblies, lunch and activities where a lot of people are talking, cheering or singing to minimize contact with droplets that may contain the virus.
Teachers and other adults should continue to stay at least 6 feet from others, CDC advised.
