CDC's new school distancing guidelines say 3 feet apart is often enough

Most students only need to be spaced 3 feet apart in classrooms, according to new guidance for schools published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – just half of the 6 feet first recommended by the agency to curb the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

The update could pave the way for more classes to return to in-person learning, as the Biden administration urges schools to reopen. For weeks, federal officials have acknowledged that some school districts would be unable to meet the guidelines laid out by the CDC in February despite an infusion of funds from the recently-passed American Rescue Plan. "This is an urgent issue. I understand the mental health challenges. I understand the educational challenge, the food insecurity. This is urgent," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told a Senate hearing on Thursday of the need to reopen schools.