Amid the COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus outbreak, the SMUHSD (San Mateo Union High School District) has continued to open school despite the rising number of cases in the United States. As of March 9, 2020, there are a reported 728 cases of COVID-19 in the United States with 133 in California and several cases in the Bay Area including 9 here in San Mateo County. Many schools in the Bay Area such as Lowell High School in San Francisco and Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton have closed for a short amount of time due to this virus. COVID-19 doesn't seem to stop and is increasing ten fold every two weeks here in the United States.

As a high school student enrolled in the SMUHSD, I have noticed concerns and worries of COVID-19 in my high school. Recently, my high school did a deep clean of my classrooms, but I don't think that it will quell the fears of the virus in my high school or any other high school in the district. Our only other option is to shut down school until conditions get better.

So, for the safety of the students and faculty and to console any fears of the virus in the district, I am asking on behalf of the SMUHSD student body for the SMUHSD Adminstrative body to listen to our needs. Thank you.