"We have been keeping in close contact with Santa Clara County's public health department," says Rick Kitson, the city's public information officer. "There is no reason to panic."

As of April 29, 14 cases have been identified in Santa Clara County. All cases involve people who have traveled to affected areas. There are about 198 suspected cases of SARS and 38 probable cases in the United States.

Local schools have followed the guidelines suggested by the county's health officials. Schools are encouraged to track students at risk for SARS, refer students for medical evaluations, share students' health status with the public health department and determine when isolation for potentially infectious students may be required.

Since SARS has not been reported in schools or other public places in the United States, health officials say there is no need to keep children from schools or adults from going to work if they are not sick. Martha Kanter, president of De Anza College, says there have been no SARS cases reported at De Anza.

According to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, those considered at risk for SARS have traveled to Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hanoi in Vietnam, or Toronto in Canada in the previous 10 days; their temperature is greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and they have shown symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

People who are found to be at risk for SARS should be advised to watch out for symptoms for 10 days following exposure. School health centers should monitor individuals at risk for SARS daily for appearance of fever or symptoms of respiratory illness during the 10-day period.

People at risk for SARS who develop fever or symptoms of respiratory illness should be removed from contact with other people and immediately referred to a physician for medical evaluation and reported to the public health department. They should be allowed to return to schools or public settings when the symptoms don't progress.

Health officials say SARS can only be spread by someone who is sick with the disease. People who are not sick but may have been exposed or traveled to affected areas probably cannot spread SARS.

Vice Mayor Sandra James urges residents to remain informed.

"We need to be proactive rather than reactive," she says.

For more information about SARS, call the county's public health information line at 408.885.3980 or visit www.sccphd.org. The city of Cupertino also updates information about SARS on its website, www.cupertino.org.