San Mateo County Catholic Schools Closed Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The Archdiocese of San Francisco, which operates some 90 Catholic schools in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties, announced on Tuesday that all schools will be closed from Thursday, March 12 through Wednesday, March 25, after a student tested positive for the new coronavirus.

In a release to the community, the Archdiocese said, "Additional diagnoses of COVID-19 across our schools are likely. After careful consideration and in light of the new information, the Archdiocese will close its school buildings and cancel classes and student-related activities from March 12 - March 25, 2020. This closure includes any planned school events such as fundraisers, community events as well as field trips."

There are 36 Catholic schools in San Mateo County, from preschool through high school.

Five San Mateo County high schools operate under the Archdiocese: Serra of San Mateo, Mercy of Burlingame, Notre Dame of Belmont, Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton and Woodside Priory of Portola Valley.

All 22 elementary schools and 11 preschools in San Mateo County will be impacted by the closure too.

Instruction will continue using distance learning as outlined by the schools.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

— Patch editors Bea Karnes, Jean Dubail and Gideon Rubin contributed to this story