Photos by Aidan Gerber and Rahul Vishwa. Reporting by Elizabeth van Blommestein.
Photos: students and parents partake in the ‘Let Them Play CA’ rally
On Jan. 15, about 40 students and parents from high schools across the San Francisco Peninsula gathered in front of San Mateo City Hall at 4 p.m. for the “Let Them Play” rally supporting the restart of athletics after many sports were shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions. Parents, coaches, students and supporters across the state hosted and participated in synchronous rallies: more than 100 communities came together statewide. Participants in San Mateo’s rally wore their school’s colors and apparel, including jerseys and sports gear, and held up posters in support of the tagline “#LetThemPlayCA.” People also drove cars up and down West 20th Avenue while honking with signs taped to their car doors and windows.
Two days before the rally, San Mateo Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Kevin Skelly sent out a memo to the district clarifying that the rally was “not endorsed by our District or any of our schools.” The district is discouraging large gatherings due to the current condition of COVID-19 cases in San Mateo County. Students from Junipero Serra High School were informed they would not be allowed to participate in any conditioning sessions on campus for two weeks if they attended the rally.
From Jan. 18 to Jan. 25, there has been an average of 275 new cases per day in San Mateo County. In total, there have been over 34,200 COVID-19 cases and 340 deaths in San Mateo County. As of Jan. 25, hospitals in San Mateo County report having 18 acute care beds, 108 acute care surge beds, seven intensive care unit beds, 88 ICU surge beds and 64 ventilators left. Although stay-at-home orders have been lifted, San Mateo County is still in the purple tier of COVID-19 restrictions: the most restrictive tier. When the county moves into the red, orange or yellow tiers, new and less restrictive guidelines will be followed.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise and vaccines are distributed, conversations about school and sports reopening will continue. Right now, the California Interscholastic Federation allows San Mateo athletic teams to train outdoors in consistent cohorts while following health guidelines.
