Merced Union High School District suspends sports events, in precautionary coronavirus move
The Merced Union High School District announced Thursday that school events will be suspended through Spring Break for all students and staff, but classes remained in session.
The decision was made following a morning briefing regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) with Merced County Department of Public Health and in light of Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest statement regarding public gatherings.
Events that will be suspended include field trips, sporting events, rallies, community meetings, competitions, conferences and workshops.
Merced, Golden Valley, El Capitan, Atwater, Buhach Colony and Livingston high schools are some of the schools impacted by the decision.
Although Merced County has reported no incidents of coronavirus infection as of early Thursday afternoon, several nearby counties have.
Madera County confirmed its first case Saturday after a resident returned from a recent Princess Cruise trip.
Later the same day, the Fresno County Department of Public Health announced an elderly man tested positive returning from a cruise Friday.
On Wednesday Stanislaus County confirmed two cases of coronavirus and Tulare County confirmed one case.
The MUHSD memo sent out to schools, staff and parents also stated the district will re-evaluate the status and operating procedures on April 1.
Central California Conference baseball openers were held on Tuesday. Thursday’s games were postponed.
The California Interscholastic Federation announced on Thursday morning that the rest of the state basketball championship playoffs have been canceled, which included regional final games scheduled for Thursday and the state championships, which were scheduled for March 13 and 14 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
“This decision was made after careful deliberation and in the primary interest of protecting the health and safety of our member schools, fans, and most importantly, our student-athletes,” said CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti in a release.
“While we understand this decision is disappointing, we strongly believe that the opportunity to compete in this event does not outweigh our obligation to place the health and safety of our member schools and school communities above all else.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the sporting world coming to a stop with the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS all suspending their seasons. Many college basketball conferences also canceled their conference tournaments on Thursday.
UC Merced moves toward remote learning
UC Merced announced Tuesday that the campus will transition to remote learning, using digital tools to continue courses under social distancing while coronavirus concerns remain.
The move followed events at other universities where in-person classes are now suspended, such as UCLA, USC, Fresno State and Stanislaus State.
“While we are not aware of any Merced County cases of COVID-19, at UC Merced we are taking all necessary precautions to protect our students, faculty and staff — including familiarizing ourselves with the amazing work of Mercy Medical Center, Merced County health officials and our city partners,” said UC Merced Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom in a news release.
“We are moving toward remote delivery of coursework and considering other ways to reduce face to face contact on campus, while still maintaining the essential services that resident students need to be healthy and safe and continue their education.”
The campus will remain open and classes will not be canceled.
Brostrom and other university senior leadership met with Mercy Medical Center’s vice president and infection prevention specialist to discuss coronavirus safety and precautionary measures.
Up-to-date information about the campus’s efforts can be found on its emergency preparedness website.
Merced County Office of Education prepares
MCOE is following the county’s lead as health and safety efforts increase across school districts.
“The Merced County Office of Education is working with the Merced County Department of Public Health, who is hosting daily phone briefings for all school districts and agencies in Merced county,” said MCOE Media and Communications Manager Nathan Quevedo.
County Public Health has recommended reconsidering travel, such as field trips, to counties with confirmed COVOID-19 cases.
Quevedo said canceling events is ultimately up to each school district.
Custodial staff has heightened cleaning efforts at schools across the county, utilizing products approved by the Center for Disease Control to eliminate coronavirus, Quevedo said.
If a confirmed case does occur, Quevedo said he feels MCOE is well-poised to respond.
“It’s not a book that just sits up on a shelf somewhere, we actually go through and have different scenarios about what we would do if there was a pandemic event,” he said.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 12:21 PM.
