TEACHERS SCHOOLS AND PARENTS. THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION UPDATING ITS PHYSICAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS CUTTING THE SUGGESTED SEPARATION FOR SCHOOL KIDS FROM SIX FEET TO THREE FEET. THERE’S NOTHING MAGIC ABOUT THE SIX FOOT DISTANCE AND WHILE SOME PARENTS ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT CROWDED CLASSROOMS. IT DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE THREE OR SIX FEET WHEN YOU ARE IN A ROOM IN A CLOSED ROOM WITH 30 CHILDREN, MAYBE MORE MAYBE MORE STUDENTS IN A ROOM. IT DOESN’T MAKE PROBABLY ASK IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING BETTER CDC AND MEDICAL EXPERTS LIKE DR. DEAN BLUMBERG PROFESSOR AND CHIEF OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT UC DAVIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. SAY THE DIFFERENCE FROM BETWEEN SIX FEET AND THREE FEET ISN’T MUCH DISTANCING AT LEAST THREE FEET DECREASES TRANSMISSION BY 90% IN DISTANCING SIX FEET DECREASES TRANSMISSION BY 95% THE MAJOR POLICIES SO WHILE NOT EVERYONE IS FULLY CONVINCED WITH PERSON LEARNING YET, BUT THEY NEED TO GO BACK. THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO STUDY BESIDES DISTANCE DR. BLUMBERG SAYS TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 FROM CHILD TO CHILD IS SLOW IN SCHOOLS. SO LONG AS MASKS ARE WORN WHEN EATING CHILDREN SHOULD BE SIX FEET APART BECAUSE THEY’RE GONNA TAKE THEIR MASKS OFF OR BE OUTSIDE. WE KNOW THAT 90% OF THE TRANSMISSION TAKES PLACE INDOORS. SO BEING OUTSIDE IS SAFER. I REACHED OUT TO 12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR AREA FOUR OF THEM GOT BACK TO ME, SACRAMENTO CITY. GROVE FOLSOM CORDOVA AND SAN JUAN THEY TELL ME THAT THEY WILL KEEP FOLLOWING STATE AND LOCAL GUIDANCE TO DETERMINE ANY NEW MEASURES. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH HAS SOME CONCERNS IN A STATEMENT. THE CTA SAYS THAT THIS CHANGE IN SCHOOLS WILL BE AMONG MYRIAD CHANGES FOR LARGER URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THOSE THAT HAVEN’T YET PREPARED TO FULLY IMPLEMENT NECESSARY MULTI-LAYERED MITIGATION MEASURES THAT CDC SAYS OR ESSENTIAL ADDING THE NEW VIRUS VARIANTS ARE ALSO A CONCERN SACRAMENTO COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SAYS THEY’RE FOLLOWING, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE AT LEAST FOR NOW. SO RIGHT NOW IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHICH DISTRICTS WILL IMPLEMENT THE NEW GUIDELINES
Parents, teachers react to new CDC guidance allowing 3 feet between students
Guidelines don't apply to teachers and other adults who work in schools
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Updated: 11:29 PM PDT Mar 19, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its physical distancing recommendations Friday, cutting the suggested separation for school kids from 6 feet to 3 feet.Leer en españolSchool parent Raquel Andrade says she is concerned about crowded classrooms."It doesn't make a difference — the three or 6 feet. When you have 30 students in a closed classroom. Maybe the mask is better," Andrade said. But Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children's Hospital, says that "Distancing at least 3 feet in distance decreases transmission by 90%, and distancing 6 feet decreases transmission by 95%."The major policy change applies to elementary, middle and high schools.So, while not everyone is fully convinced with in-person learning yet, they do believe in-person learning is necessary after a year online.Besides distance, Dr. Blumberg says transmission of COVID-19 from child-to-child is low in schools, so long as masks are worn. "When eating, children should be 6 feet apart because they're going to be outside. We know that 92% of transmission takes place indoors. So being outside is safer," Blumberg said.KCRA 3 News reached out to 12 school districts and heard back from four: Sacramento City Unified School District, Elk Grove Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District and San Juan Unified School District. They all say they will continue to follow state and local guidance to determine any new measures.KCRA 3 also reached out to the California Teacher’s Association, which released the following statement: "Since the pandemic began, safety has been and continues to be the priority for educators. The science and research have shown us the behavior, patterns and effects of the airborne and highly infectious COVID-19. "Having quickly looked at today's announcement, this move to three feet distance for students in schools will be among myriad challenges for our large urban school districts and those that haven’t yet prepared to fully implement the necessary, multilayered mitigation measures that the CDC says are essential regardless of the spacing between students in classrooms. School districts must follow through on implementing all those safety measures including vaccinations, wearing masks, hand washing, sanitization, adequate ventilation and testing and tracing."We can't let our guard down now. Using these safety protocols, we can regain the confidence needed to teach and learn in classrooms. Additionally, public health officials have rightly cautioned, the new variants are a concern."Sacramento County Health and Human Services said it is following the California Department of Public Health's guidance, at least for now. It's still unclear which districts will implement the new guidelines, and when.Teachers and other adults who work in schools should still practice a 6-foot distance.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its physical distancing recommendations Friday, cutting the suggested separation for school kids from 6 feet to 3 feet.
School parent Raquel Andrade says she is concerned about crowded classrooms.
"It doesn't make a difference — the three or 6 feet. When you have 30 students in a closed classroom. Maybe the mask is better," Andrade said.
But Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children's Hospital, says that "Distancing at least 3 feet in distance decreases transmission by 90%, and distancing 6 feet decreases transmission by 95%."
The major policy change applies to elementary, middle and high schools.
So, while not everyone is fully convinced with in-person learning yet, they do believe in-person learning is necessary after a year online.
Besides distance, Dr. Blumberg says transmission of COVID-19 from child-to-child is low in schools, so long as masks are worn.
"When eating, children should be 6 feet apart because they're going to be outside. We know that 92% of transmission takes place indoors. So being outside is safer," Blumberg said.
KCRA 3 News reached out to 12 school districts and heard back from four: Sacramento City Unified School District, Elk Grove Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District and San Juan Unified School District. They all say they will continue to follow state and local guidance to determine any new measures.
KCRA 3 also reached out to the California Teacher’s Association, which released the following statement:
"Since the pandemic began, safety has been and continues to be the priority for educators. The science and research have shown us the behavior, patterns and effects of the airborne and highly infectious COVID-19.
"Having quickly looked at today's announcement, this move to three feet distance for students in schools will be among myriad challenges for our large urban school districts and those that haven’t yet prepared to fully implement the necessary, multilayered mitigation measures that the CDC says are essential regardless of the spacing between students in classrooms. School districts must follow through on implementing all those safety measures including vaccinations, wearing masks, hand washing, sanitization, adequate ventilation and testing and tracing.
"We can't let our guard down now. Using these safety protocols, we can regain the confidence needed to teach and learn in classrooms. Additionally, public health officials have rightly cautioned, the new variants are a concern."
Sacramento County Health and Human Services said it is following the California Department of Public Health's guidance, at least for now. It's still unclear which districts will implement the new guidelines, and when.
Teachers and other adults who work in schools should still practice a 6-foot distance.
