Coronavirus: Eagle Rock teen asks Barack Obama to deliver online national commencement address to class of 2020

EAGLE ROCK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An Eagle Rock graduating senior is asking former President Barack Obama to deliver a virtual commencement address to the class of 2020 as the coronavirus outbreak forces schools across the country to cancel graduation ceremonies.

Eagle Rock High School student Lincoln Debenham posted his request on Twitter earlier this week, and it has since been retweeted nearly 44,000 times.

The tweet reads, "Hi Barack Obama! Like most high school/college seniors, I'm saddened by the loss of milestone events, prom & graduation. In an unprecedented time, it would give us great comfort to hear your voice. We ask you to consider giving a national commencement speech to the class of 2020."

Katie Hill, a spokeswoman for Obama, said they were aware of the tweets and are "very flattered" but declined to comment further.

Classes across the country, including in Southern California, have shifted to online learning -- in some cases through the end of the academic year -- in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are more than 662,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 33,000 deaths in the United States, including more than 24,000 cases in California, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.