BUFFALO, N.Y. — The six-foot physical distancing recommendation for schools may change to three feet.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is now looking at new evidence three feet of distancing is safe.
A study released last week out of Massachusetts found reduced physical distancing – from the CDC's current recommendation of 6 feet – can be safe in schools, so long as masks are worn. That has caught the attention of the CDC.
"Three feet was actually safe. Student rates and teacher rates of disease was the same as six feet versus three feet. There are several other emerging studies that I am aware of. As we look at those studies and the context of this Massachusetts study, we are looking to update our guidance," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Walensky was among several top federal officials testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee Wednesday. She admits the agency's recommendation of six feet has been difficult for a lot of schools.
"As soon as our guidance came out, it became very clear that six feet was among the things that was keeping schools closed and in that context science evolves," Dr. Walensky said.
In New York state, there have been some counties outside Western New York that have allowed schools to reduce the six-foot physical distancing requirement, so long as there are dividers up or masks are worn.
That's frustrating to some school leaders.
"Our position as the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association is this patchwork of county guidance documents under the conditions which we should operate schools is completely unproductive. The state needs to step in lead and reissue guidance either reissue the same guidance and tell us it's not going to change or update it and tell us why it changed," said Michael Cornell, president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association.
"Even if the New York State Department of Health changed its guidance today, it would take weeks for school districts to work with their stakeholders and assess exactly what a change in guidance means for that school district and then operationalize it."
Also in the hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, testified saying he anticipates that high school students will be able to be vaccinated in the beginning of the fall.
There are COVID vaccine studies being done that involve high school and elementary-aged students to learn whether the vaccine is safe for them.
"We will not have to prove in an efficacy trial that they work we just need to show that it’s safe," Fauci said, "we anticipate we’ll have enough data to be able to vaccinate these younger children by the first quarter of 2022," Fauci said.