Health experts move toward shorter social distancing standards in schools

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A new study released in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that it is safe for schools to open with 3 feet for social distancing as long as students, teachers and staff wear masks.

Reopening schools using the standard 6 feet of social distancing has been a challenge for some areas with large class sizes and not enough space to safely learn. Columbia Public Schools is among those where students have had to attend class without the 6-foot buffer.

Official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend desks and seating be at least 6 feet apart to protect students and teachers from the novel coronavirus, but more voices are suggesting that distance could be cut in half.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease official and President Joe Biden's chief adviser on COVID-19, told CNN on Sunday that the CDC is aware of the new data and is collecting its own.

"I am very well aware that data are accumulating making it look more like 3 feet are OK under certain circumstances," Fauci said.

Todd Fuller with the Missouri State Teachers Association said he assumes Missouri's state government will be on board with this order as soon as the CDC confirms it is safe.

"In reality when you look at the state of Missouri, a lot of the districts that have been in person since August have not had the opportunity to maintain a distance of 6 feet," Fuller said.

Jefferson City Schools have been teaching in person since August.

Fuller said many of the buildings in Columbia are not designed to have social distancing of 6 feet in place.

Mallory McGowin with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said, "It's very difficult the way our schools have been created the size of a standard classroom to be able to allow that much space can be really difficult ."

Columbia Public Schools are set to go back to five-days-per-week in-person learning after spring break. Cases are declining in the district while vaccinations increase. Meanwhile, teachers became vaccine eligible this week.

Michelle Baumstark with CPS said when asked about the 6 feet requirement, "We will do our best, but with the number of students and size of our district it simply is not realistic or something that we can accomplish within the physical size of our facilities and the number of students."

The school district 14-day rate tracker continues to decrease. As of Tuesday, CPS had a case rate of 11.3 per 10,000 people and 11 new cases. These numbers are compared to the peak in November of 111.7 per 10,000 people and 79 new daily cases.

Baumstark said the district will continue to rely on other strategies such as assigned seats, hand washing, and mask wearing, but we will not be able to guarantee 3-6 feet of social distancing at all times.

Fuller said now that teachers and education staff are eligible to receive the vaccine, they are showing more comfort in being back in the buildings.

As of Feb. 14, only 18% of CPS staff had received the vaccine. But as of last Sunday 41% of staff had been vaccinated.

McGowin said, "By rolling up their sleeves as a local school educator/school staff member, taking part in a vaccination event and getting that vaccine they are helping us combat the virus through this additional layer of protection."

Baumstark said the vaccine, " will be a game changer and signals a light at the end of the tunnel."

"When you have that basic level of security you can pay more attention to the important things that should be going on in a school district," said Fuller.

Check back for more on this developing story or watch ABC 17 News at 5 and 6 p.m.