Tomorrow’s Rally Is Cancelled Due To Coronavirus
After school yesterday, Principal Dunn hosted a meeting for staff in the library. The topic? COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus.
“I want to review everything our district and specifically our campus is doing to keep our students and staff safe through proactive and preventative measures,” he said in an email.
“There has been no new information regarding anything specifically affecting our campus,” he adds. “This is just informational.”
In the hours since, however, California governor Gavin Newsom has called for a ban on all events of 250 or more people. That means tomorrow’s pep rally will be cancelled, an announcement expected to be made official later today. The Boy’s Basketball State Championships have also been cancelled. There have also been rumors that Saturday’s Baile de Leon would be cancelled, but it is still on for the moment. There will be less than 250 people attending that event.
Eastside’s not the only school forced to make adjustments. The school district is also taking measures to prevent an outbreak.
“The District is actively developing a plan to address the need for continuing education should we be faced with an extended school closure,” said a District email.
While there’s currently no immediate plans to close schools, the District realizes that may be necessary in the near future. Other school districts have already taken those steps.
Los Angeles Unified School District, for example, has declared a State of Emergency. New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are all among the states who have shuttered school campuses in response to the outbreak.
The virus originated in China. Some people believe that was caused by bacteria from improperly-cleaned meat, although other theories abound. The virus has already spread to more than 120,000 people, including 1,000 here in the United States. More than 4,300 people have died, causing the World Health Organization to label the virus a pandemic.
While the virus currently has no cure or vaccine, the Center For Disease Control has released steps that they say can help prevent its spread. They suggest thoroughly washing hands, especially after coming into contact with other people. They also suggest that people avoid touching their face, sharing drinks, or touching public surfaces whenever possible.
The virus can cause fever, shortness of breath, and a cough. If you display any of these symptoms, do not come to school. Instead, you will need to stay home in a self-enforced quarantine for 14 days. To prevent the spread of the virus to family members, be sure to frequently clean surfaces with disinfectant.
In the meantime, Asian students seem to be the ones impacted most — not by the virus itself but by the racist stereotypes that have accompanied it. Freshmen Natalie L. is one of the students frustrated by the increase in anti-Asian racism.
“You’re being racist because you’re making assumptions of the person because they are Asian or Korean,” she says. “The virus happened in China, and these students probably never even been out of the state.”
Kayla M., a sophomore of mixed Korean descent, doesn’t see the racist comments as a big deal. “My friends say [racist jokes] because they are a**holes, but I haven’t been attacked for being Korean and assuming that I had the virus,” she says.
This article was originally published on March 11 but has since been updated to include Governor Newsom’s comments and the updates on upcoming school events.
