Greeley small businesses altering procedures during COVID-19 outbreak - Greeley Tribune
Greeley small businesses altering procedures during COVID-19 outbreak - Greeley Tribune |
| Greeley small businesses altering procedures during COVID-19 outbreak - Greeley Tribune Posted: 18 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PDT Editor's note: In the interest of public safety, this story is provided free to all readers. Support more reporting like this with a Greeley Tribune subscription. The COVID-19 outbreak and Weld County public health order has local businesses deciding whether they should stay open, provide limited services or close completely.
Animal Attraction Pet Store is still open its normal business hours. It plans to remain open unless state officials say to close. Pennsylvania recently ordered the closure of non-essential businesses; veterinarians and pet stores were deemed essential. "We've been in Greeley since 1998 and have a solid customer base," owner Aaron Blake said. "We don't want to see their animals suffer or starve if this goes on longer." The store has seen more people purchasing supplies and food to ensure their pets will be taken care of. Animal Attraction is offering a new home delivery service for supplies and livestock. The store will even deliver an aquarium for those interested in starting one while spending more time at home, Blake said. The store will consider doing curbside sales, if that becomes necessary. Blake encouraged residents to take advantage of the altered processes of other Greeley small businesses, not just his. "Support your small businesses if you can," Blake said. "It's going to be critical to have the economy bounce back quickly after this is all over." Pandemic practicesSmokers Depot and Vape will remain open, and the store is cleaned often. Owner Tanya Willmott said she and her husband decided to keep the shop open because they have bills and rent like everyone else. Warm Hugs Mixes and Gifts Boutique downtown is also still open but understands the hesitancy to get out. It has increased the number of Facebook videos to show what products are available in store, owner Suzanne Sereff said. Customers who want an item can message the store's page or call to have items held and pay over the phone. Warm Hugs is offering free in-store and curbside pickup, too. Recipients of gift certificates will receive them via mail, Sereff said. Blush Boutique in Downtown Greeley decided to close its storefront. It will continue to accept orders online ― with an automatic 20% discount ― offer local pickup and sell gift cards. The store plans to do Facebook Live sales during the closure, too. "We love you all and hope to see you and get to eventually hug you when all this craziness is over," the store posted on Instagram. "Hang in there, enjoy your families, pause, rest and shop online in your sweats." Editor's Note: This is a running list. If you wish to add your business' information, message us on Facebook or email jwatson-fisher@greeleytribune.com. For restaurant information, the Greeley Tribune published a list of establishments offering delivery and takeout. |
| The Latest: St. Louis County coronavirus hotline sees spike in calls - KMOV.com Posted: 10 Mar 2020 03:58 AM PDT  ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) - Below is the latest on the impact of the coronavirus in Missouri and the Metro East: To read further coverage on the coronavirus in Missouri and the Metro East click here. TUESDAY, MARCH 17: 12:30 p.m. Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that casinos would be closing at midnight through March 30. Parson said he consulted with the Missouri Gaming Commission to close the casinos to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Illinois closed their casinos days ago. 9:45 a.m. According to St. Louis County, the number of phone calls into their coronavirus hotline spiked Monday. Records show the hotline took about 13 calls Sunday, March 15. Then on Monday, the numbers spiked to 695 calls. Calls are filtered into three categories: Tier 1 is general information, Tier 2 is preventative measures and Tier 3 is high level risk exposure. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has suspended all driver road tests. Written tests will still be available. 6:00 a.m. As the numbers stand Tuesday morning, Illinois has 105 COVID-19 cases while Missouri has eight. The newest cases in Missouri include a person between 50-60 years old in St. Louis County and a SLU student in St. Louis City. Both people recently traveled internationally. St. Louis City Hall is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. but anyone heading into the building will have their temperature taken. If you temperature is higher than 100.4 degrees, you must return home and won't be allowed in the building. Mercy is still doing drive-thru testing. Since opening the clinic Saturday, the hospital said 135 people have been tested. "So far, we're not stretched thin. We don't have a lot of call outs. We don't have a lot of people on self quarantine yet because it hasn't really hit the hospital," Mercy spokesperson Joe Poelker said. "It hasn't really hit the community yet. A lot of what we're doing right now is precautionary." As for pet parents, Stray Rescue announced it will open as a pet food pantry for community members in need. Stray Rescue will provide a bag of pet food to anyone in need. If you or your neighbors need help, call the shelter at 314-771-6121 or email julia [at] strayrescue.org to schedule a pick up time. "Our hearts go out to those who are temporarily out of work and directly affected financially at this time," said Cassady Caldwell, Executive Director. You are encouraged to bring your own container MONDAY, MARCH 16: 9:20 p.m. Webster University is closing down all student housing, both on-campus and off, due to coronavirus worries. Students will not have to leave right away, residential life staff will help students leave until March 22. 8:00 p.m. Franklin County announced all of its schools will be closed until further notice. The closure will begin Wednesday and run through April 4. All school activities are canceled during the closure. "The decision to close our school districts was extremely difficult, made in consultation with all area Superintendents and out of an abundance of caution for our families," the district said in a release. 7:00 p.m. Shortly after Lyda Krewson announced St. Louis City had its first case of COVID-19, St. Louis county announced they had another confirmed case. The patient, between 50-60 years old, came in contact with the virus through international travel. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in St. Louis County was on March 7, 2020 and the second confirmed case was on March 13, 2020. The third case is not related to the first two. 6:40 p.m. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announced Monday night the City of St. Louis has its first confirmed case of COVID-19, a SLU student. The patient reportedly contracted the virus after having traveled to an infected area, but the city's director of health said because they were quickly tested and isolated, there are no other individuals they came in contact with who are at risk. Saint Louis University later announced the patient, who is in their 20s, is A SLU student and had been in a country the CDC had issued an advisory about due to coronavirus. SLU also said a second student who was overseas is getting tested. Also, Krewson announced city officials will test everyone who enters City Hall for a temperature. 6:00 p.m. McDonalds will not be allowing dine-in at any of its company owned stores in the US. The company will only be allowing carry-out, drive thru and delivery. It will also be closing its PlayPlaces at its locations in the US. The company is encouraging its franchisees to do the same. 5:30 p.m. Washington University School of Medicine is calling off vacation and time off for all staff, faculty and trainees to deal with an a possible surge of cornavirus patients. 5:15 p.m. The Missouri Botanical Garden, Shaw Nature Reserve and Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House are closed until April 3. All events are canceled through May 1. 4:45 p.m. The Archdiocese of St. Louis suspended all public masses Monday night, announcing they plan to keep the suspension until April 6. The decisions to continue with baptisms, weddings and funerals will be made at the parish level with the understanding that the celebration of these sacraments are to include only immediate family members. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis offers live-streamed and televised options for Holy Mass. 4:50 p.m. SSM Health announced it will restrict visitors in its facilities in an effort to protect patients. Each patient will be allowed only two visitors at a time, and are considering reducing it to one at a time. In addition, no children under the age of 12 will be allowed to visit any patient at any facility, including siblings. 4:40 p.m. Illinois announced it will close all drivers license facilities beginning Tuesday and they will remain closed through March. Expiration dates for driver's licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations and other transactions and document filings will be extended by 30 days through an emergency rule. 4:30 p.m. Area grocery chains announced major benefits changes in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak Monday. In an agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, grocers announced all copays for coronavirus tests will be waived. Additionally if a worker becomes ill with the virus, there will be an increase in short-term disability and they will maintain 90 percent of their current pay. Union dues will be waived for all new employees for 45 days, and there will now be telemedicine benefits which will not carry any out-of-pocked costs. The UFCW has about 9.500 members in the eastern half of Missouri. 4:10 p.m. All branches of the St. Louis County, St. Charles City and St. Charles County libraries are closing. St. Louis County branches will be closed Tuesday until April 3. The St. Charles City and County branches will be closed until April 5. 4:00 p.m. Lake Saint Louis Firefighters will only respond to emergency calls effective Monday due to concerns over COVID-19. Stations tours, car seat installations, smoke detector installations, etc will not take place for the time being, the fire protection district announced. 3:45 p.m. The Missouri History Museum is closed until May 9. 3:20 p.m. The City of Belleville is closing its city offices from Tuesday until March 30 due to COVID-19 worries, with the exception of police, firefighters and EMS, sewer and sanitation services, and trash pick-up. Libraries are closed, and Park and Recreation events are canceled through March 30. All events at city parks with 50 or more people are canceled until May 11. 3:00 p.m. Schnucks announced Monday it is temporarily closing three stores and altering hours at others due to the coronavirus outbreak. The supermarket chain announced that the Oakwood, Shrewsbury and Lemay stores will close Monday at 10 a.m. and re-open Thursday at 6 a.m. All Schnucks stores with the exception of four will be open from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Schnucks says the new hours will allow them to some employees to nearby stores and give others some much-needed time off.
2:55 p.m. The Art Museum in Forest Park announced it is closing until further notice due to concerns about the coronavirus. 2:35 p.m. More than 100 Illinois residents have tested positive for coronavirus, health officials announced Monday afternoon. The state reported 12 new cases, bringing the total to 105. The new positive tests are out of Will County, which is near Chicago, and Peoria County, officials said. 2:26 p.m. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Trump admin: Public should avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, cancel discretionary travel in bid to slow outbreak. The administration urges older people, those at increased risk to new virus to stay home, keep away from other people 2:15 p.m. St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones announced Monday her office will not enforce parking citation beginning March 16. In a tweet, Jones said all tickets written on the 16th will be voided and no new tickets will be issued through April 6. All penalties will be frozen until April 15. 1:23 p.m. Major League Baseball on Monday released a statement amid their postponement as it pertains to the start of the 2020 baseball season. The statement reads: Today Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. conducted a conference call with the 30 Clubs of Major League Baseball. Following last night's newly updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, the opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance. MLB will keep fans updated on decisions regarding plans for the 2020 schedule in the days and weeks ahead. The Clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins. We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit. MLB extends its best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by the coronavirus. 10:55 a.m. Courts around the St. Louis area are closing and continuing cases amid the concern over spreading coronavirus. The St. Louis Circuit Court has cancelled jury trials until April 13. If you were scheduled for jury duty, you need to contact the Jury Supervisor's Office at 314-622-4457, Tuesday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to reschedule your jury service. All Friday weddings have been cancelled as well until further notice. Individual hearings on specific criminal, domestic and probate cases will proceed as currently scheduled unless the specific Judge assigned to that case takes action. The Juvenile Division's Custody and Safe Exchange program will continue but may have reduced hours. In Illinois, all court cases in Madison County for March 2020 will be continued. Additionally, anyone trying to get married will be limited to just the bride and groom. All court cases in Madison County for March 2020 will be continued. Additionally, anyone trying to get married will be limited to just the bride and groom. Many municipalities have closed their courts. If you have a case, check in with the jurisdiction to see how to proceed. 10:45 a.m. The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced they have cancelled the remainder of the Show Me Showdown, the Class 4 and 5 basketball semi-final and championship games. "We understand the unexpected hurdles this creates for our schools and fans, and apologize for the inconveniences it has caused. Our thoughts are with our schools as they navigate the uncertainty of these times," said Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA Executive Director. They said the decision was made after consulting with local and state officials as well as schools. MSHSAA said a decision regarding Music; Speech, Debate & Theatre; Scholar Bowl as well as Spring Sports will be made later Monday. 10:10 a.m. The St. Louis Zoo is temporarily closed to the public until further notice. The zoo will determine plans to reopen closer towards April. All public and private events including education programs are canceled through April 3. "The animals in our care are doing well and our animal care scientists and veterinarians have established procedures that protect the animals' health, keeping them safe from exposure to disease," said Dr. Jeffrey Bonner with the St. Louis Zoo. 10:05 a.m. A campus building at St. Louis University will close until further notice after a Wuller Hall employee is being tested for the COVID-19. There are no confirmed cases at the university at this time. 8:45 a.m. The Missouri Health and Senior Services confirmed another person tested positive for the coronavirus Monday, marking 6 cases in total. Gov. Parson tweeted that the patient is from Greene County, Mo. Overnight, 43 more samples were tested. John Hopkins Medical Center is tracking the global coronavirus cases worldwide. To view the tracker, click here. 8:30 a.m. Missouri auditor Nicole Galloway calls for the coronavirus task force to activate to help with the flow of information to citizens during the pandemic. In a press release, Galloway said Missourians want transparency involving the administration's coordination with agencies. 8:15 a.m. Forest Park Forever announced that the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center would close until further notice after the CDC's recommendation to ban any gatherings of 50 or more people. "As our community works to collectively limit the spread of COVID-19, we believe this action is essential. We recognize this impacts the Forest Park visitor experience and we appreciate your understanding at this challenging time," they said in a statement. The Variety Wonderland Playground next to the Visitor Center remains open. If you are a locker member and need to get personal items, you need to contact Facility Manager Steve Burkhardt at 314-367-7275 ext. 122 or sburkhardt [at] forestparkforever.org. The Beginner Bird Walk that had been scheduled for Saturday, April 4, has been cancelled. Upcoming school trips that had been coordinated through Forest Park Forever have been cancelled. In national news, organizer hope to hold the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. They are working with health officials and will plan for contingencies. SUNDAY, MARCH 15: 11:15 p.m. The Maryland Heights Municipal Court is canceling all remaining court dates in March. Letters will be sent in the mail with new court dates. 10:20 p.m. Officials with the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station announced the aquarium will temporarily close until March 31. The decision comes after St. Louis city leaders announced a ban on gathering of 50 people or more. Read more on the ban, here. 7:30 p.m. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement he "strongly [urges] the cancellation or suspension of public gatherings of 50 individuals or more with the exception of educational institutions, daycare facilities, and business operations." Read more on this story here. 7:10 p.m. All public schools in Jefferson and St. Charles County will close. In St. Charles, schools will close Monday and in Jefferson County, they will close on Tuesday. Schools in both counties will remain closed until April 3. 6:45 p.m. Wentzville Schools will be closed starting Monday through April 3. All sporting events and activities are also canceled. 6:20 p.m. The St. Louis Public Schools, all public schools in St. Louis County and schools run by the Archdiocese of St. Louis will close March 18 through April 3. 6:00 p.m. St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, St. Clair County, Ill. and Madison County, Ill. officials have recommended that all public, private, and parochial schools across all five jurisdictions to close by Wednesday, March 18 until further notice. Learn more here. The five jurisdictions have also banned events and social gatherings with more than 50 people. The order is in effect for eight weeks. Learn more here. 4:45 p.m. St. Louis County health officials say they are waiting on COVID-19 test results for 11 patients. So far, two St. Louis County residents have tested positive; 19 patients have tested negative. Officials also announced as of March 14, all presumed positive tests will be confirmed positive as the Missouri State Laboratory will no longer require presumed positive tests to be sent to the CDC. 4:40 p.m. A total of 83 people have been tested at Mercy's drive-thru testing site since it opened on Saturday. On Sunday, the hospital said a total of 31 were tested. 3:00 p.m. Illinois Gov. Pritzker officially announced the closure of all bars and restaurants to the public effective end of business day Monday through March 30. The Illinois Department of Health announced the state has 93 positive COVID-19 cases as of 3 p.m. Sunday. Learn the details in this story here. 1:15 p.m. Crazy Bowls and Wraps is offering free meals to kids at their Florissant, Ferguson, Edwardsville and Shiloh locations because those districts have shut down school due to coronavirus worries. Kids can enjoy a quesadilla, drink, chips and a crispy treat. 1:10 p.m. Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker told Meet the Press he is thinking about closing bars and restaurants due concerns over COVID-19. 7:55 a.m. Schnucks will reduce the hours of its 24-hour stores to help with store cleanliness and ensure more items are restocked and available. The 24-hour locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at midnight. The other locations will close at 10 p.m. and reopen at 6 a.m. daily expect for the Schnucks Culinaria store in downtown St. Louis. The Culinaria store will close at 9 p.m. To check on store hours, click here. SATURDAY, MARCH 14: 9:30 p.m. Clayton officials announced all proceedings at the Clayton Municipal Court will be postponed for two weeks including all dockets, hearings and trials beginning Monday, March 16. 8:25 p.m. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the fifth case of coronavirus in Missouri. Officials said a fifth person tested positive for COVID-19 in Greene County. The case is travel-related. As of 8 p.m. Saturday, Missouri health officials have tested a total of 127 people. In a press release, officials said Missouri's laboratory is no longer required to send positive tests to the CDC for confirmation. Officials said results from the state lab are considered final. Two of the five cases were found in Greene County, another two in St. Louis County and one case was found in Henry County. Read more on the story here. 6:40 p.m. St. Louis University announced two of its students were tested for coronavirus Friday. Their tests are still pending. The university said both students were traveling. Both are in isolation off-campus. 5:40 p.m. The Ferguson-Florissant School District announced it will close schools beginning March 18 through April 3 amid coronavirus concerns. Read more here. 2:30 p.m. The Illinois Department of Health announced the first two coronavirus cases in St. Clair County. In a Saturday afternoon press conference, Gov. Pritzker said the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Illinois has risen to 64. Read more here. 1:15 p.m. Ameren Illinois and Missouri announced the company will temporarily stop service disconnections and will forgive customers with late payment fees through May 1. This comes in response to the "economic hardships that our residential and business customers may experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic." 12:50 p.m. Casino Queen in East St. Louis announced it will comply with the Illinois Gaming Board's directions and temporarily close. 11:00 a.m. The City of Clayton has canceled all Parks and Recreation programs through March 22. The programs include the following activities: Youth Baseball / Softball League Practices, Spring Break Camps and Shaw Park Field Rentals Beginning Monday, all hearings, dockets , trials and other proceedings held in the Clayton Municipal Court will be postponed for two weeks. 10:00 a.m. Effective Saturday, the St. Louis Science Center will close its doors to the public through the end of March. 8:00 a.m. Mercy opened the first drive-thru testing site in the area on Saturday. Before going to the test site, people need to call Mercy's COVID-19 Clinical Support Line at 314-251-0500 to see if they meet the requirements as the site is exclusively for patients who have a fever of at least 100.4 degrees and respiratory symptoms including cough or shortness of breath. The site will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Read more about the testing site, here. SSM Health launched a 'Virtual Visit' program for people concerned about symptoms possibly related to COVID-19. Learn more about the virtual screening, here. KMOV is teaming up with the three largest health care providers in the St Louis area to bring you the latest information on the virus and answer your questions. Learn more here. FRIDAY, MARCH 13: For more information on the virus and safety guidelines, visit the CDC's website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. The St. Louis County Health hotline is 314-615-2660 or visit the county's website at stlcorona.com to learn more. 8:00 p.m. The Archdiocese of St. Louis released a statement saying all Catholics with the Archdiocese "are dispensed from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the next three weekends." This is effective March 14 through 21. 7:35 p.m. The St. Louis County Board of Elections(BOE) has requested to postpone the municipal elections on April 7 to protect the health of St. Louis County voters and election workers. The BOE will petition the request to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District Saturday. The BOE is asking the Court to move the election date to April 28 and to authorize voting by mail. 7:30 p.m. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann announced state of emergency in the county. In a press release, he said the county is not prohibiting any events. "We are working with organizations, groups and event planners to discuss what is best for their specific event," Ehlmann says. "When making that decision, crowd size, venue, and audience age and health are considered. Any events that have been cancelled or postponed in St. Charles County have been the decision of the organizer." As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, St. Charles County health officials tested a total of eight people. Seven tests came back negative and one test remains pending. "This is not a time for us to panic, but to implement all strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 in St. Charles County, " Ehlmann said. "I am declaring this as an emergency to better arm the county against the unknowns of this pandemic, and so that we can access potential federal funding should the need arise." 7:20 p.m. Officials said all in-person classes for the the University of Missouri System universities have been suspended through the remainder of the Spring semester. This includes its Mizzou and UMSL schools. The decision comes after President Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. 6:50 p.m. Illinois Gaming Board officials announced the state's 10 casinos will be suspending their gambling operations beginning March 16 for 14 days. 6:05 p.m. Jefferson County, Missouri, has announced a state of emergency. Officials said the Jefferson County Health Department does not recommend limitations on mass gatherings or school closures as of Friday evening. 6:00 p.m. The St. Louis County Health Department announced a second presumptive positive case in St. Louis County. Officials said the patient is 50 to 60 years old. Click here to read more about the second coronavirus case in St. Louis County. 5:00 p.m. In a Friday afternoon press conference, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Missouri. He said this is the "next appropriate step to protect public health." Parson announced two new positive COVID-19 cases in Missouri, bringing the statewide total of coronavirus cases to four. Parson said a total of 94 people have been tested for the virus in Missouri. Unlike Illinois Gov. Pritzker, Parson said the state of emergency declaration does not come with the intention to close schools. Parson said that decision is up to local officials. Read more on the story here. 4:14 p.m. Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the decision to close all schools in the State of Illinois beginning Tuesday and continuing through the end of the month. The decision will impact more than 2 million students. Read more on the story here. 3:20 p.m. River City Casino & Hotel officials said they are postponing all their March and April concerts due to the growing public health concern amid the coronavirus outbreak. Officials said those who have purchased tickets can visit rivercity.com for rescheduled concert dates and more information. 3:00 p.m. The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois announced all its Catholic schools will be closed from March 16 - 20 amid coronavirus concerns, including Catholic schools in Madison County. There are Catholic school sunder the diocese in Granite City, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Bethalto, Alton and Maryville. 1:30 p.m. Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday he would issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency in the state at a 5 p.m. press conference. The order follows St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's emergency declaration earlier in the day. 11:30 a.m. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency Friday. He also announced the county will follow St. Louis City in restricting large gatherings, though where the city set it's limit at 1,000 people, Page said the county will prohibit gatherings of more than 250 people in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read more here. 11:15 a.m. Six Flags St. Louis announced they will suspend operations until the end of March, and then re-evaluate the situation at month's end. 10:00 a.m. Mercy will open a drive-thru testing site Saturday. Here's what you need to know and do before visiting the test site. Mercy said the test collection site is exclusively for patients who have a fever of at least 100.4 degrees and respiratory symptoms including cough or shortness of breath. Before getting a test, you need to call Mercy's COVID-19 Clinical Support Line at 314-251-0500. The drive-through location will be at the Mercy Virtual Care Center at 15740 S Outer Forty Road in Chesterfield. Read more about the coronavirus testing site here. 9:30 a.m. HealthWorks! Kids' Museum will close to the public at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and remain closed through at least March 30th. "During the time the museum is closed, we will be deep cleaning the entire facility and preparing for the debut of new exhibits and programming, so we can continue our work to educate and inspire children and the community to make positive health choices," the press release said. 9:00 a.m. The 2020 Masters Tournament has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns. "Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone The Masters, the August National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals," Chairman Ridley said. The Masters is the latest sporting event to postpone. 5:30 a.m. The Moolah Shriners Circus at the Family Arena is the latest event to be canceled in the St. Louis area due to coronavirus concerns. "For more than 78 years, the Moolah Shriners have provided family entertainment to St. Charles and St. Louis region," the Shriners said in a Facebook post. "As always, our focus has been the safety and well-being of families." The Shriners said they plan to reschedule the circus for later this year. St. Louis City banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people. We're waiting to find out if St. Louis and St. Charles counties will do the same thing. Here are the major cancellations:
For more information on the virus and safety guidelines, visit the CDC's website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. The St. Louis County Health hotline is 314-615-2660 or visit the county's website at stlcorona.com to learn more. THURSDAY, MARCH 12: 9:00 p.m. As of 9 p.m. Thursday, Missouri officials have tested a total of 73 people. Two of those tests came back positive. Illinois officials have tested a total of 418 people. Of those, 294 tests came back negative, 92 tests are still pending and 32 tests are confirmed positive cases. 6:30 p.m. St. Charles Community College officials said all in-person classes will be suspended and will be provided online until March 30. Officials said the move is a precautionary measure. 6:20 p.m. The XFL has canceled all its regular season games. All players will be paid and benefits for the rest of the 2020 season. All season ticket holders will receive refunds or credit towards future games. "The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years," the XFL said in a statement. 6:00 p.m. In a Thursday press conference, Gov. Parson said a Springfield resident in their 20s traveled to Austria and was tested positive for coronavirus. This marks the second COVID-19 case in Missouri. The first case was announced on Saturday, March 7. Read more on the story here. 5:00 p.m. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has mandated that all events with more than 1,000 people in Illinois be canceled or postponed, and he has recommended that all events with a crowd of 250 or more be canceled or postponed. Pritzker also instructed all pro sports teams to cancel their games or play without fans until May 1. 4:55 p.m. The St. Louis Ambush season is over. The Major Arena Soccer League announced Thursday that it is ending its season due to worries over COVID-19. 4:52 p.m. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is canceling its concerts through March 15. Those who have tickets for The Damnation of Faust on March 13 and 14 have several options:
4:50 p.m. Chaifetz Arena has announced it has is canceling all events through April 30. Arena management said it will work with promoters to re-schedule as many events as possible and is encouraging guests to hold onto their tickets. 4:45 p.m. The Fox Theater is canceling all events until March 31. Below is a statement from the Fox:
4:40 p.m. Customers of Missouri American Water will not have their water turned off due to worries over the coronavirus and those who have had their water turned off will have their service restored, the utility said. The utility released the following statement:
4:20 p.m. Governor Mike Parson will hold a press conference Thursday night regarding the second COVID-19 case to test "presumptive positive" in Missouri. Read more here. Download the KMOV News app to get the latest updates. 3:30 p.m. Disneyland will be closing until April due to fears over the coronavirus. 3:22 p.m. Mayor Lyda Krewson announced on Thursday gatherings of more than 1,000 people are prohibited in St. Louis City until further notice. For more details, click here. 3:20 p.m. Missouri American Water says it will not be shutting off water at several TEH properties where the utility said big bills are due. The utility initially said the water could be shut off as soon as Thursday but the situation with the coronavirus changed that. 3:15 p.m. The NCAA announced it is canceling the men's and women's basektball tournament. 2:35 p.m. Missouri Baptist University announced all of its classes will be online from Monday until April 3 due to concerns over COVID-19. The university is currently on Spring Break. Resident life, library services, academic support and athletics will be operational but students are asked to live off-campus between now and April 5. 2:15 p.m. Major League Baseball has decided to suspend spring training games amid COVID-19 concerns. The league will also delay Opening Day by at least two weeks. The Cardinals were st to open the season in Cincinnati on March 26. The NBA, NHL, and MLS have all suspended their seasons indefinitely. 1:25 p.m. The Go! St. Louis Marathon was canceled Thursday afternoon due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a release, the event organizers said: "We have been in close communication with the City of St. Louis Health Department, as well as the Office of Special Events in this decision-making process. We are committed to the safety of our runners and our community. It has become clear that putting on a safe and fun event would be very difficult during a time when resources such as medical teams, volunteers, and vendors may be strained by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic." The organizers are working to provide registered participants options for rescheduled dates or future events. 1:15 p.m. UMSL announced classes for Friday are suspended and all classes will be remote for the week of March 16. The week after is Spring Break and the university says it will assess what to do for the rest of the semester after the break. 1:00 p.m. NASCAR has decided to hold two race events without fans in attendance. NASCAR released a statement Thursday that the races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway will be restricted to competitors, crews, officials and other necessary personnel to conduct the race. "We will work with public health officials as we determine future scheduling beyond these event," the statement reads. 12:30 p.m. The NHL announced Thursday it is suspending its season due to concerns over the coronavirus and hopes to return as soon as it is appropriate. The announcement came one day after the NBA made the same move. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN has reported that a second teammate has also tested positive. AP reports there is an expectation the NBA will shut down for two weeks. The NHL pointed out that they share many of the same facilities with NBA teams and were worried that an NHL player would test positive. 11:30 a.m. Four Franklin County residents were tested for coronavirus, three of those tests came back negative and the fourth is still pending, according to county commissioner Tim Brinker. Brinker said all of them voluntarily self quarantined with their immediate families while waiting for test results. Health Department officials are meeting daily, Brinker said, to discuss the evolving situation. 10:45 a.m. The Big Ten and SEC announced they are canceling their conference tournaments. The Big Ten released a statement saying it will meet with medical experts and institutional leadership to determine their next steps. SEC said they based their decision on the latest developments and continued spread of the coronavirus. Mizzou was set to play Thursday night in Nashville. Others who have canceled their conference tournaments include: ACC, Big 12 and PAC-12. 10:30 a.m. The Illinois High School Association said it will significantly limit attendance at the remaining Boys Basketball State Series, as well as other events, to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Teams will be limited to just 60 fans per school at this weekend's Class 1A and 2A state finals. "This was a difficult decision shaped by thoughtful deliberation set against a truly unprecedented backdrop," Executive Director Craig Anderson said. This rule will also affect the Class 3A and 4A sectional, super sectional and state final. State series in debate, drama and group interpretation and Scholastic Bowl will be held to the same standard. Full refunds will be available for those who have already bought tickets. 9:30 a.m. Mayor Lyda Krewson announced she is instructing the St. Louis Water Department to stop all water shutoffs until at least May 15 so everyone has access to water for hand washing, bathing and personal hygiene as a way to help limit the spread of COVID-19. 9:00 a.m. The NHL has advised teams to not conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings Thursday as the league considers what to do regarding coronavirus. The Blues were not scheduled to practice Thursday as they come back to St. Louis after playing in Anaheim Wednesday night. They are scheduled to play Friday night at Enterprise Center against the Sharks. The NBA has suspended their season indefinitely after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. 5:45 a.m. The NHL is expected to announce Thursday how they will respond to the COVID-19 pandemic after the NBA decided to suspend its season "until further notice." The NBA made the decision after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus. The decision came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. Jazz center Rudy Gobert is the player who tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier Wednesday, the NCAA barred fans from attending the March Madness tournament. A volleyball tournament set to be hosted at America's Center has also been canceled. The Nike Mid-East Qualifer was expected to bring 20,000 people to St. Louis. Mayor Lyda Krewson made the announcement Thursday morning. 5 a.m. The Archdiocese is advising parishioners who are sick or have compromised immune systems to avoid attending Mass, school or church activities, Archbishop Robert Carlson advised. The Archbishop has also told churches to empty Holy Water fronts and to refrain from distributing wine during Holy Communion. All people administering communion should be in good health and people should avoid shaking hands during the sign of peace. Any priest or deacon who is sick or feeling symptoms should not offer Mass. You can find more information from the Archdiocese on COVID-19 here. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11: 9:00 p.m. A family member of a student in Lincoln County is being tested for coronavirus, according to the Lincoln County School District. Officials said the person is a family member of two Troy South Middle School students and one Troy Buchanan High School student. The family is in self-quarantine. The district is not canceling classes at this time. 8:30 p.m. Officials with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville said Spring break has been extended through March 22. All in-person classes have been suspended until March 23. All other University events have also been suspended. 8:10 p.m. Officials announced the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dogtown will be postponed. No other information was released. Download the KMOV News app to get the latest updates. 7:30 p.m. Lindenwood University officials announced classes will be held virtually at both the St. Charles, Mo and Belleville, Ill. campuses starting March 13 until March 29 amid coronavirus concerns. In a press release, officials asked residential students who are on Spring Break through March 15 to not return to campus. The school said no one on campus is being tested for a possible infection. The move is only meant to reduce the likelihood of the spread. 7:00 p.m. As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, Missouri officials have tested a total of 65 people, one of which came back positive case in St. Louis County. Illinois officials tested 376 people with 25 confirmed positive cases. 6:07 p.m. The Bayer employee who was being tested for COVID-19, does not have the virus, the company says. The company's Creve Coeur campus, which was closed on Monday, will re-open Thursday. 5:00 p.m. The St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown St. Louis has been postponed, Mayor Lyda Krewson says.
Parade organizers explained their decision in a statement, that read in part: "With a heavy heart, amidst growing concerns about the spread of Coronavirus, our Committee has reluctantly decided we must POSTPONE our events. There will be no Run and no Parade downtown on March 14, 2020. We do look to reschedule these events, and the private parties that accompany our weekend, likely as part of our September Halfway-To-St. Pat's celebration. We make this decision based upon the best information currently available, and we know that St. Louis will support us in this." 4:49 p.m. All five St. Charles County residents suspected of having COVID-19 have tested negative for the virus, health officials say. 4:20 p.m. University of Missouri officials said they are suspending in-person classes beginning 5 p.m. Wednesday. through Sunday, March 15. Classes will then be held remotely March 16 through 20. In-person classes will resume staring Monday, March 30. Read more here. 3:42 p.m. NCAA president Mark Emmert has announced that all championship events, including the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, will take place with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. St. Louis is set to host first and second round games in two weeks at the Enterprise Center. NCAA's full statement: The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease. This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19. Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – we recommend against sporting events open to the public. We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans. 2:45 p.m. Webster University announced it is going strictly online classes until April 3. Staff and students who work on campus are still expected to report to work. 1:25 p.m. Boeing announced it is limiting overtime, not hiring anyone new and limiting employee travel due to financial pressures from the COVID-19 outbreak and problems with the 737 MAX. 12:30 p.m. Washington University is extending its Spring Break until March 23 and then closing campus until late April. Those who live on-campus are being asked to leave no later than March 15. Courses will be given online. 12:15 p.m. A group of Mizzou students and faculty who attended a conference in New Orleans are being asked to stay at home after the university says one of the attendees at the conference not from Mizzou tested "presumptive positive" for COVID-19. None of the students or staff are showing any symptoms, the university says. 11:35 a.m. Expressing alarm both about mounting infections and slow government responses, the World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic but also said it's not too late for countries to act. By reversing course and using the charged word "pandemic" that it had previously shied away from, the U.N. health agency appeared to want to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops. "We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief. "All countries can still change the course of this pandemic. If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response," he said. "We are deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction." The WHO added that Iran and Italy are the new front lines of the battle against the virus that started in China. "They're suffering but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation soon," said Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO's emergencies chief. Italy weighed imposing even tighter restrictions on daily life and announced billions in financial relief Wednesday to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus, its latest efforts to adjust to the fast-evolving health crisis that silenced the usually bustling heart of the Catholic faith, St. Peter's Square. In Iran, by far the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, the senior vice president and two other Cabinet ministers were reported to have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Iran reported another jump in deaths, by 62 to 354 — behind only China and Italy. In Italy, Premier Giuseppe Conte said he would consider requests from Lombardy, Italy's hardest-hit region, to toughen the already extraordinary anti-virus lockdown that was extended nationwide Tuesday. Lombardy wants to shut down nonessential businesses and reduce public transportation. These additional measures would be on top of travel and social restrictions that imposed an eerie hush on cities and towns across the country from Tuesday. Police enforced rules that customers stay 1 meter (3 feet) apart and ensured that businesses closed by 6 p.m. 11:10 a.m. The Trump administration is considering delaying the April 15 deadline for filing taxes due to the coronavirus outbreak. 10:20 a.m. Ahead of the Atlantic 10 Basketball Championship in Brooklyn, New York, Saint Louis University has restricted travel to all non-essential personnel. This includes school band members, cheerleaders, dance team members and various University and athletics staff members. In addition, all fan events in New York have been canceled. The team will take a private aircraft to Brooklyn Wednesday. Tournament officials are in contact with the Barclays Center and the NCAA regarding any potential impact on the tournament. 9:50 a.m. A patient in Rolla is being tested for COVID-19 after showing symptoms of the virus, Phelps Health Medical Group says. 9:30 a.m. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services opened a statewide public hotline for anyone who has questions about the coronavirus, or COVID-19. The hotline opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday and is being operated by medical professionals. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can reach the hotline at 877-435-8411. TUESDAY, MARCH 10: 9:30 p.m. Two of the four patients from St. Charles County have tested negative for COVID-19, health officials say. Officials are still waiting on two other results. St. Louis County says two others tested negative and they are still waiting on one other. [RELATED: Aggressive actions during 1918 Spanish flu pandemic made St. Louis a city ahead of its time] 9:10 p.m. Bethesda says it is limiting visitors to its skilled nursing centers based on Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS guidelines). At its location on Big Bend in Kirkwood, only patients who are in the late stages of life will be allowed to have visitors. Delmar Gardens also says it is limiting visitors out of COVID-19 concerns. The company released the following statement:
7:35 p.m. The New City School in St. Louis City will re-open Wednesday after the school learned that the parent of student tested negative for COVID-19. The school was closed Tuesday as a precaution. 7:05 p.m. Saint Louis University announced it is suspending most on-campus classes for the week of March 15. Online classes will continue, the university says. The university says there have been no reports of coronavirus at the campus. 6:30 p.m. Test results for 11 Missouri residents who were being monitored for COVID-19 have come back negative but authorities did not say if any of those tested are from the St. Louis area. 2:00 p.m. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has canceled a foreign trip because of concerns about the coronavirus. The Republican governor had been scheduled to leave Thursday to go to Greece, Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. He was to meet with business leaders about expanding in Missouri and to visit Missouri-based military troops stationed overseas. A Parson spokeswoman says the governor had planned to be gone until March 22. No makeup date has been set yet for the trip. 5:45 a.m. Lawmakers will meet Tuesday in Jefferson City to discuss the spread of coronavirus. Representative Justin Hill told News 4 for the first time a joint committee will hear testimony on the virus. That committee will be made up of representatives, state senators, and leaders tied to disaster preparedness. Hill said the discussion will be focused on the virus in Missouri. They will also discuss budgetary requirements. Doctors will also be on the panel, and Hill said lawmakers will have a follow up meeting next week. MONDAY, MARCH 9: 11:40 p.m. The Department of Health for the city of St. Louis said a parent of a student at New City School in the Central West End has been tested for coronavirus but has not positively diagnosed. The family was quarantined and was not at school on Monday. Classes have been cancelled Tuesday. However, New City School serves as a polling place for the primary election and voters can still cast their ballots. 6:00 p.m. The attorney of the Ladue family, whose daughter was diagnosed with coronavirus, says the family was never told to self quarantine. Neil Bruntrager outlined a series of phone calls and text messages between the woman's parents and county officials during a 3-day period. Hear what he has to say, and what the communication was like, here. 5:20 p.m. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page says the family of the woman who tested positive for coronavirus has been complying with the self-quarantine since they were told about the positive test, adding that a court order to keep the family quarantined will not be needed. Page also said the woman and her family were told to stay home before they learned of the positive test. He says the family was told about the test results around 6:30 p.m Saturday. The father of the coronavirus patient and her younger sister went to a father-daughter dance Saturday night at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton. Read more on the story, here. Page says he does not want to dwell on what happened, or any possible miscommunication between the family and health officials, but says what occurred is a learning opportunity for everyone. In a Monday afternoon press conference, Page said the county has monitored 16 people and all the results for them came back negative. As of Monday afternoon, the county was monitoring one person for a possible infection for travel-related exposure. The county's department of health received a total of 375 calls as of Monday. Of those, 164 people called to get general information about coronavirus. Technical assistance calls reached 141. 4:55 p.m. Four St. Charles County residents who recently traveled within or outside the country are being tested for COVID-19. Officials two traveled to Mexico, one to Germany and another to Washington state. For more on this story, click here. 4:17 p.m. The Hazelwood School District says two employees will self-quarantine because they have had "distant contact" with people who are being tested for coronavirus. The district says a staff member at Russell Elementary and a consultant at Walker Elementary are being self-quarantined as a precaution. The district said neither have shown any symptoms. To see the full letter sent home to parents, click here. 3:40 p.m. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is declaring a Disaster Proclamation in Illinois as the state announced four new cases of coronavirus. The governor said the proclamation - Illinois' equivalent to a state of emergency - will open the state to receive federal funding for help fight the spread and provide treatment. [WATCH: Gov. Pritzker declares state of emergency as coronavirus cases rise to 11 statewide] The announcement came as four new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in Illinois - bringing the state's total to 11. All of the new cases were in the Chicago area. 3:30 p.m. A Pokemon Go Safari Zone event scheduled for late March 27-29 in Tower Grove Park has been canceled. A full statement on the cancellation is below:
3:02 p.m. Bayer announced it is temporarily closing its Creve Coeur campus after an employee who works there is being monitored for coronavirus. The test results on the employee are not yet back. The company says it is "closing the Bayer campus in Creve Coeur, Missouri, until further notice to implement additional cleaning measures in common areas, and, as a proactive measure out of an abundance of caution." For more on the situation at Bayer, click here. 2:30 p.m. The outbreak has a caused a shortage in the country's blood supply as many blood drives have been canceled. To see a list of blood drives in the St. Louis area, click here. 2:23 p.m. Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School has cancelled classes for the rest of the week. The announcement, made Monday afternoon, comes days after the father of the coronavirus patient took his other daughter to a father-daughter dinner dance with Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton on Saturday. 1:50 p.m. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page will each hold news conference Monday afternoon as coronavirus concerns continue to grow in Illinois and Missouri. Pritzker's, taking place in Chicago, will happen live at 3:30 p.m. Page will address the latest on St. Louis County's confirmed COVID-19 case amid reports a second person in St. Louis County is being tested. That is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Several schools in the St. Louis area say they are taking action due to the coronavirus. Villa Duchesne, where a sister of the woman who tested positive for coronavirus attends, did not have school on Monday. The news comes after authorities learned that the woman's family did not follow a recommended quarantine, with her father and sister attending a father-daughter dance at the Ritz Carlton in Clayton on Saturday night. The Ritenour School District says a staff member was in contact with a family member of the coronavirus patient. That staff member has been asked to stay home as a precaution but the district says the staff member has not any contact with other staff members or students since coming into contact with the family member. Other schools, such as Chaminade College Preparatory, have told students who have family members who attended the dance to participate in classes remotely. For more information on the virus and safety guidelines, visit the CDC's website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. The St. Louis County Health hotline is 314-615-2660 or visit the county's website at stlcorona.com to learn more. |
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