OHIO — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance for schools Friday, saying students can stay 3 feet apart rather than 6 feet apart. But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said weeks ago that 3 feet is acceptable, as long as students wear masks.
“We've seen virtually no spread (in) class,” DeWine said on March 5. “Even when they're less than 6 feet apart, if they're all wearing a mask, (there’s) virtually no spread.”
Although the CDC is relaxing protocols, it’s still urging students and staff to stay 6 feet apart as much as possible. The new guidance also states schools can remove plastic barriers between desks.
But the one protocol that remains mandatory is wearing masks — something DeWine has strongly supported in recent weeks.
After receiving pressure from some Republican lawmakers like Rep. Jim Jordan to roll back health restrictions like Texas and Mississippi, DeWine refused, saying masks are the “ticket out” of the pandemic.
“We’re going to follow the science and the science clearly tells us that these masks work phenomenally well,” DeWine said March 5.
Most Ohio schools have resumed in-person learning earlier this month after receiving a deadline from DeWine. On Feb. 12, DeWine said in order for school employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, he asked that all students return to the classroom by March 1, adding 3-feet distancing is fine.
3 feet is the new 6 feet? DeWine says tonight it’s safe for students to be back in school even without 6 feet distancing. @SpectrumNews1OH https://t.co/BnbxhxtHXZ
— Pete Grieve (@pete_grieve) February 13, 2021
While many school districts ended up returning in person by March 1, many others returned the following the week. One school, Walnut Hills High School, said it will remain in virtual learning until the district “elects to accept three-feet social distance as the standard for all schools.”
“We did some testing at seven different schools. It was very abundantly clear that there was not — we were not seeing the spread, so our ticket out is to continue to wear this mask and to vaccinate,” DeWine said March 5. “That's how we get out of this.”
As of Thursday, more than 1.4 million Ohioans are fully vaccinated, which is 12.7% of the state’s population.