CDC says schools can reopen if proper precautions are implemented inside, outside of classrooms including limits on indoor dining, athletic events Updated Jan 27, 2021; Officials from the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday said evidence from the fall showed that schools can reopen for in-person learning but only if communities take the proper precautions, which include limitations on aspects outside of the classroom such as indoor dining, gyms and athletic events. In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, officials from the CDC said data showed that rapid spread within schools is rare, and classrooms should welcome students back. The recommendation came with a host of caveats.