US halves social distancing recommendation for schools

Health officials relaxed social distancing guidelines for schools, potentially paving the way for widespread reopenings.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines for schools on Friday, saying students can safely sit just 1 metre (3 feet) apart in classrooms as long as they wear masks, down from the previous 2 metres (6 feet) recommendation. The revised guidelines represent a turn away from the standard that has sharply limited how many students some schools can accommodate. Some places have had to remove desks, stagger scheduling and take other steps to keep children apart. During a coronavirus task force news conference on Friday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said new evidence suggests that students can be safely seated 3 feet apart when “everyone, student and staff wore a mask at all times”.