School districts across Southern California are sending out message blasts to parents, urging calm and good hygiene practices. Many schools are bulk ordering hand sanitizers, deep cleaning classrooms and scrubbing “high touch” areas, such as drinking fountains and bathroom sinks. Several are considering using online lessons to keep students learning in the event of closures.

As the number of coronavirus cases reported in California have increased, school officials are racing to educate students and families about the epidemic and slow the spread of germs among so many children, while also preparing contingency plans if they are forced to shut their doors — as several schools have already done in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.

There have been nearly 50 coronavirus cases reported in the state, most of which involve people who contracted the virus abroad and were then repatriated to the U.S. and quarantined on military bases. In at least five cases, people contracted the virus in their community. Health experts have said that an increase in the number of cases in the nation does not necessarily mean that the virus is spreading rapidly

Nevertheless, school officials across the state are doing their best to prepare in an anxious environment.

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