The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had recently announced that school desks no longer need to be six feet apart to maintain a safe classroom environment against the novel Coronavirus. Instead,  desks can now be three feet apart.

Many experts now say that the “six feet apart rule” does not benefit people in terms of catching the virus and being three feet apart is equally as sufficient as long as safety measures are put in place, with people continuing to wear masks. The C.D.C. is continuing to recommend the six feet distance when students are eating during lunch, as this requires taking off the mask.

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The Teachers Union raised concern over this update, as the President of a major teacher’s union, the American Federation of Teachers, Rani Weingarten said she was afraid this new step would loosen social distancing requirements in classrooms.

“With the guidance that students can be 3 feet apart from each other but adults should remain 6 feet from children or other adults, what is the expectation for the teacher in a classroom — that she remains in one spot at the front of the room the entire day, not moving about the classroom?” she asked.

However, not everyone disagrees with this idea, as many school administrators are elated with this new plan.

Pedro Martinez, the Superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District, called this new update a “game-changer” in terms of bringing more heads into the classrooms. 

With many divisive opinions over the CDC’s decision, only time will tell if it’s the right decision to negate the negative effects of COVID-19.