Columbia Public Schools is working to keep frequently touched surfaces disinfected, posting information about hand washing and taking other steps to prepare for the likely arrival of the coronavirus illness circling the globe.

So far, no one in Columbia has tested positive for the virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. The only Missouri case is a woman in St. Louis who recently returned from Italy.

The fact that there is only one case in the state doesn’t mean the coronavirus isn’t having a growing impact on the operations of schools, business and government.

Gov. Mike Parson canceled a trip to Europe and the Middle East scheduled to begin Thursday, the Associated Press reported. The trip to Greece, Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, with a scheduled return, was canceled before Israel said it would require anyone entering the country to be quarantined for 14 days, spokeswoman Kelli Jones said.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against evangelist Jim Bakker and Morningside Church Productions Inc. for misrepresentations about the effectiveness of “Silver Solution” as a treatment for COVID-19.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, requests a restraining order and permanent injunction ordering Bakker to stop selling Silver Solution as a treatment for the coronavirus.

The Missouri Veterans Commission and the Department of Veterans Affairs have announced that they will not allow visitors to veterans’ nursing homes or health centers. That includes Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia and the state veterans home in Mexico.

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said visitors are not allowed at the agency's roughly 135 nursing homes, which house more than 8,000 veterans, saying those facilities are "going into an emergency situation,“ USA TODAY reported.

Columbia College announced Monday that it was ending in-person classwork at its sites in Washington state in favor of online courses.

Beginning Wednesday, the college will transition 11 total classes, affecting 121 students, according to a news release.

Westminster College in Fulton postponed indefinitely the induction of Churchill Fellows, originally set for Sunday at the National Churchill Museum.

Full refunds, museum Director Timothy Riley said in a news release, will be issued for those who registered for Saturday’s dinner and Sunday’s Churchill Fellows Brunch. Those who paid to participate can ask for a receipt for the full amount as a tax-deductible donation.

The day before he sued Bakker, Schmitt on Monday issued a release warning consumers against possible scams related to the coronavirus and to report any price gouging they encounter.

“When receiving emails about COVID-19 or accessing information about the virus online, be sure that the website you’re visiting or the email you’re clicking on is a reputable, legitimate source for information,” Schmitt’s release said. “If it looks fishy, it most likely is.”

In a discussion Monday night with the Board of Education, Superintendent Peter Stiepleman said the custodial staff is regularly disinfecting surfaces that are touched the most, including door knobs and light switches.

Head custodians have received a video explaining the coronavirus. Supervisors are visiting buildings to check on cleanliness.

Schools receive thorough cleanings in the morning and after school, but usually not during the day because it’s impractical, said district chief operations officer Randy Gooch.

A hand-washing poster, using information from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, is being placed in each building, Stiepleman said.

The district is also urging students, staff and faculty to make protecting others a priority.

“Stay home if you are sick,” Stiepleman said.

Too many students and employees place too much emphasis on having perfect attendance, he said.

Students with compromised immune systems can work out with their counselors a plan in case they would be required to attend classes via the internet from home, Stiepleman said.

School board members asked district health services coordinator Lori Osborne if virus prevention could be included in lessons for elementary students.

Elementary students have been taught to wash their hands thoroughly and cover their coughs and sneezes even before the coronavirus, Osborne said. The message is especially important during flu season.

“Children should be doing this all the time,” she said.

The Columbia Public Schools website links Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about coronavirus by clicking on “hot topics,” district spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said.

rmckinney@columbiatribune.com

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rkeller@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1709