US CDC issues new school guidance, urges full reopening

Washington, July 10 The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new guidance urging schools to fully reopen in the fall regardless of whether all mitigation measures can be implemented.

"Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority," said the new guidance issued on Friday.

Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports, Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC as saying.

The CDC recommended schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk.

"Covid-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including students, teachers, and staff, who are not fully vaccinated, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels," said the CDC.

Schools across the US started to close in March 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold and many students were shifted to online learning at home.