WASHINGTON (AP) — Students can safely sit just 3 feet apart in the classroom as long as they wear masks but should be kept the usual 6 feet away from one another at sporting events, assemblies, lunch or chorus practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.
Following the announcement from the CDC, Bay Area state Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) called for California counties to align their guidance on school distancing with the CDC.
“I urge the state and our counties — including the counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara, which I represent — to swiftly align with the new federal guidance so local districts have the flexibility needed to safely get students back in classrooms,” said Becker, in a prepared statement. “With many teachers now being vaccinated, and data demonstrating the safety of school reopenings, we can and should do everything we can to give students the opportunity to learn in the classroom as soon as possible.”