3 feet of social distance will be allowed in Oregon schools under certain conditions

SALEM, Ore. – Guidance for social distancing for Oregon students has been changed.

Originally, experts recommended six feet between students returning to in-person learning. However, new guidance from the CDC said three feet is good enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the classroom.

On March 22, the Oregon Department of Education announced a shift to allowing three feet of social distance under certain conditions in schools. One of those conditions is that case counts need to remain under a certain level.

The ODE said individual school districts can choose to abide by the new guidance if they choose to do so.

“With the new recommendations for physical distancing from the CDC, I know I join students, parents, and educators across Oregon in welcoming the news that months of scientific research clearly demonstrates the risk of COVID-19 transmission is low in schools,” said Governor Kate Brown. “As with so many aspects of our lives this year, schools will not be able to return to normal overnight, as districts will need time to work with parents, educators, and staff to create plans at the local level to implement this updated guidance. But, as we continue to vaccinate more Oregonians every day and work together to drive down COVID-19 transmission in our communities, students and staff will have expanded opportunities and flexibility for in-person learning under this new guidance, as we work towards fully reopening all our schools in the fall.”

Updated “Ready Schools, Safe Learners” guidelines can be found HERE.

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