The safety measures in place in order to ensure a secure environment have included the need for social distancing of some six feet, or almost two metres. However, a study, reported in the NY Times published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, suggests that “public schools may be able to reopen safely for in-person instruction as long as children maintain three feet of distance between them, and with other mitigation measures maintained, such as wearing masks”. This new evidence which was commented on by Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the American infectious disease expert, and who agreed that “the study appeared to indicate three feet would be sufficient distance to curb transmission of the virus”, should be a relaxing of rules that will make schools an easier place to be and allow children to have a more engaging experience. Curiously this also coincides with the recommendation of the WHO (3.3 ft or 1 metre). All of this is good news and hopefully provides further grounds for opening up schools where they still remain closed. Children need to get back into classrooms in order to learn effectively, and parents and teachers need to get back to their own normal pattern of life. This should now be more feasible.
nytimes.com/2021/03/14/health/Covid-schools-social-distancing-3-feet.html