In a new sign of progress in the battle against the coronavirus, health officials have reduced the minimum required distance between students in a classroom from six feet to three feet. The change came quickly after the CDC announced the new three foot guidelines last Friday. The California Department of Public Health, which sets the baseline rules that Ventura County schools must follow, soon followed suit. Ventura County Public Health, which has the authority to impose stricter rules than the state, also adopted the three foot distancing guideline. Studies show the reduced distancing between students in class does not significantly increase the risk of virus spread as long as students and staff are all correctly wearing masks on a consistent basis. The rules still require six foot distancing between students and staff members.
