As fear about novel coronavirus spreads — much faster than the disease itself — nearly 14,000 people have signed an online petition, urging Alhambra Unified to cancel all classes until the outbreak ends.

Officials say the movement is just part of a hysteria sweeping across the San Gabriel Valley, especially among the large Asian community, one full of conjecture and rumors.

“The virus has already made a name for itself by killing many individuals in China as well as spreading to other countries at a rapid pace,” the Change.com petition reads. “There have been cases in Orange County and there is a suspicion of a case of this virus in Alhambra.”

However, Toby Gilbert, a spokeswoman for the district, said there are no plans to cancel classes. She also dispelled a student-spread rumor that the district bans face masks. It doesn’t, but it also does not recommend wearing them because mask are not effective in preventing sicknesses.

“We believe that petition and those that are signing it are basing their information on false rumors and are scaring themselves by not getting fact-based, science-based information,” she said in a phone interview on Monday.

Without a declaration of an emergency, Superintendent Denise Jaramillo does not have the authority to close the schools because students must attend 180 days of instruction each academic year, Gilbert added. Neither the state, the Los Angeles County of Education or the county of Department of Health have declared an emergency.

Only two cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Southern California, one in Los Angeles County and the other in Orange County. Those came on Jan. 26, and while there since have been three new confirmed cases in Northern California, there are no new confirmed cases in the Southland.

In a recent public statement, the county Department of Health said: “In L.A. County, as in counties across the U.S., the threat to the general public for contracting novel coronavirus remains low.”

Public Health confirmed in an email that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the San Gabriel Valley. That didn’t stop the city of Alhambra canceling its annual Lunar New Year celebration scheduled for this past weekend.

Misinformation is contagious

Gilbert said with coronavirus misinformation spreading fast, Alhambra Unified is trying to educate parents, students and teachers throughout the district what’s actually happening with the coronavirus. Along with tweeting information, the schools within the district have sent out newsletters and emails and officials have made themselves available to meet with concerned parents.

And starting this week, school nurses will be heading to classrooms to talk about best health practices, Gilbert said.

“When there is a disease outbreak, there is a fear outbreak,” she said. “Fear outbreaks are not based on facts, they are based on false rumors that are spread as facts.”

@alhambrausd is working closely with LACOE and the Department of Public Health to provide factual information regarding Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/DmFDVDJfrN — Wing Ho (@WingHo_AUSD) January 28, 2020

To avoid and prevent the spread of sickness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home if you are sick.

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If no post-Labor Day coronavirus surge, LA County could enter less risky recovery phase by October The CDC also cautions against showing prejudice to people of Asian descent.

“Do not assume that someone of Asian descent is more likely to have 2019-nCoV,” the agency said.

Alhambra Unified serves about 16,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. According to the California Department of Education, 50% of its enrollment are Asian.