Updated CDC guidance says 3 feet of physical distancing is safe in schools

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday is updating its physical distancing guidelines for children in schools from 6 feet to 3 feet.

The CDC has previously said schools should try to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between children, but in light of new data, the agency is now recommending most students maintain at least 3 feet of distance.
On Friday, the agency is releasing three new studies it says support distancing of 3 feet between students, so long as everyone is wearing a mask and other prevention measures are in place. Another study recently published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found there was no difference in Covid-19 rates between Massachusetts schools that mandated 3 feet of physical distance compared to 6 feet, as long as everyone wore masks.