The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, has said that the schools can allow three feet of social distancing instead of six feet, between the students in the classroom.

Elementary school students can be at least three feet apart from each other in the classroom, CDC said on Friday in long-awaited guidelines to reopen the schools.

However, CDC continues to recommend the six-feets apart rule for other cases. The 6-feet social distancing is recommended for the activities that involve increased exhalation such as sports, singing, dancing, etc, and for such situations when wearing Mask is not possible such as having snacks.

The CDC recommended that the desks should face in the same direction, as far as possible. 

“Safe in-person instruction gives our kids access to critical social and mental health services that prepare them for the future, in addition to the education they need to succeed,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

“These updated recommendations provide the evidence-based road map to help schools reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruction,” He added.

The CDC also provided more guidance on transportation, saying schools should create distance between children on school buses such as seating one child per row. Windows should be opened to improve ventilation and students should wear face masks.

The recommendations on testing allow for safe participation in sports. Schools may consider testing student-athletes, coaches, parents, or other adults who support extracurricular activities.