SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Some New Jersey elementary school students can begin moving their desks closer together.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the state will follow federal COVID-19 guidelines that recently determined classroom desks can be spaced 3 feet apart instead of 6.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the change last week.
If elementary students wear masks and wash their hands properly, Murphy said they can sit closer together in the classroom.
“Full-time in-person instruction can begin with the distance between students within that classroom reduced to 3 feet,” he said.
Middle and high schools can only follow the new recommendation if they are in a low- or moderate-risk area for COVID-19. Right now, that applies to all of South Jersey except Ocean County.
At his COVID-19 briefing, Murphy was asked if parents would be given the option to choose virtual education this fall. He said no.
“I want to be unequivocal about this: We are expecting Monday through Friday, in person, every school, every district,” he estimated.
More than two-thirds of New Jersey’s students are back in the classroom, either full-time or on a hybrid plan.