As the world adapts to life during the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials with New York State have decided to ease some of the social distancing rules in school. How comfortable are you with sending your child to school for in-person learning now?

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According to News10 The Center of Disease Control recently released new guidelines for social distancing requirements in schools. Officials in New York State have decided to require 3 feet distance between students as opposed to the previously adopted distance requirement of 6 feet for in-person learning.

Don Stevens, who is the Assistant Superintendent of Watervliet City Schools, recently spoke about the new requirements. He said, “The 6-foot guidelines put some constraints on some of the classrooms. Not all of the classrooms can fit many students so we had some rooms with 10 or 12 kids and one teacher. So now, it gives us a little more leeway to allow all learners to be in person.”

Kaweeda Adams, Superintendent of Albany City School District, also spoke about the new distance guidelines. She said, “Now that does not mean that they will be 3 feet socially distant when it comes to meals, and snacks, and drinking. So they cannot eat in the rooms that have been converted to the 3 feet of social distancing.“

The new distance guidelines are primarily for elementary school children. The current rate of infection will be used to determine the guidelines for middle and high school students. Students must always maintain a 6-foot distance whenever speaking with an adult. Everyone must continue to wear masks.

The new guidelines will allow for more students to participate in in-person learning. Some parents are already reluctant to send their children to school. There are no long-term studies on the effects of vaccination on children.

As a parent, I'm kind of leery about my kids returning to in-person learning because there is no significant way to safeguard children from catching or spreading COVID-19. It is very hard to keep a mask on children under the age of 10. How comfortable are you with sending your child to school knowing that they will be just 3 feet away from their counterparts?

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