(AP) A group of 51 lawmakers has sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education and Maine CDC calling for the agencies to “work in conjunction to immediately ease the restrictions that are preventing schools from opening full-time.”

The lawmakers, who are mostly Republicans, said the departments should rescind three-feet physical distancing requirements for students and direct school districts to implement localized strategies for bring students back into the classroom.

“Schools across Maine have reported minimal transmission of the coronavirus; therefore, the continued justification of the aforementioned restrictions is excessive, and its practical implications are deeply troubling,” the lawmakers said.