Two individuals in Shawnee County are quarantined in their homes as a result of concerns over possible exposure to the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

"At this point in time, we are monitoring two individuals who are currently in quarantine in their homes, but we have no presumptive-positive cases," said Craig Barnes, division manager of community health outreach and planning for the Shawnee County Health Department.

Both individuals contacted the Shawnee County Health Department to notify officials that "they did have a travel history" that was consistent with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Barnes said that as of Tuesday afternoon, both individuals were "asymptomatic" and were staying in their homes for a period of 14 days.

Barnes said the health department asked the individuals to monitor themselves for any potential symptoms of COVID-19, which include a fever above 100 degrees, a cough and shortness of breath.

Information on where the two individuals may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus wasn’t immediately available.

"It’s important to remember that the risk to the general public remains low at this time," Linda Ochs, Shawnee County Health Department director, said in a news release. "Shawnee County will continue to monitor individuals who meet the criteria and to work with hospitals and KDHE to conduct any necessary testing. There is no current evidence to suggest that this virus is circulating in our community."

At present, Barnes said, the Shawnee County Health Department and its community partners — including local hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies, Shawnee County Emergency Management and the city of Topeka — are meeting regularly and working together to develop a coordinated response to COVID-19.

The combined effort includes keeping the public informed about changes related to COVID-19, including preparedness, prevention and response.

In addition, the coordinated effort is focusing on how individuals showing COVID-19 symptoms are tested and monitored for the illness.

Barnes said the efforts also include coordinating how reports and specimens are sent to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

In addition to appearing before the Shawnee County Commission and the Topeka City Council, Barnes said, the health department has met with the Greater Topeka Partnership regarding steps it can take to help its member agencies prepare for any potential changes in the workplace regarding COVID-19, should those become necessary.

"Right now," Barnes said, "the biggest thing that we’ve been talking about is it’s no longer a matter of if we get a case, it’s more a matter of when we get a case."

Barnes said health department officials recommend people take steps to prevent the possible spread of the coronavirus, including staying home if they are sick, washing their hands as often as possible and limiting exposure to people showing symptoms associated with the illness.

At the same time, Barnes said, county health officials don’t want people to panic. Just because people are coughing or have a runny nose doesn’t mean they have COVID-19, he said.

Each day brings new information related to the coronavirus outbreak, said Dusty Nichols, director of Shawnee County Emergency Management.

An incident action plan is in place to help define the responsibilities of various agencies in the county, Nichols said.

"Every day, it changes," Nichols said. "Every day, there’s something new we have to tackle, a new challenge we have to meet."

He said one of the most important aspects of coordinating responsibilities among various agencies is "making sure communications are in line" and that they are going out in an effective fashion.

"I think it’s evolving," Nichols said of information regarding COVID-19. "If we didn’t recognize that it’s evolving, we’d be in trouble. But I think this team recognizes that, and every day it’s meeting those challenges."

Meanwhile, local organizations are taking steps to sanitize their facilities.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave., is taking steps to provide a "safe and clean environment" for its patrons, according to the library’s website.

All public and staff areas, the Learn & Play Bus and the bookmobiles "are cleaned on a regular basis using several antibacterial products in liquid and aerosol forms to disinfect touchpoints," the website said. Hand sanitizer also is available at all public-service counters.

Special Olympics Kansas on Monday announced it had "made the difficult decision to cancel" a number of events because of concerns related to the coronavirus.

According to an email distributed by John Lair, president and CEO of Special Olympics Kansas, upcoming events canceled by the organization include the state basketball and cheerleading tournaments, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Topeka and March 20-21 in Hays; all young athletes programs scheduled for March 9-23; all local team practices scheduled for March 9-23; the KU Unified Basketball Championship game scheduled for March 19; the outdoor skills training session scheduled for Tuesday.

"While this news is incredibly disappointing for all of us, the health and safety of our athletes, volunteers, staff, and partners remains our top priority," Lair said in the email.

On the eve of its state basketball tournaments, the Kansas State High School Activities Association said it is monitoring the situation and reviewing information from the CDC and KDHE.

The KSHSAA will conduct 12 state championships from Wednesday through Saturday. Tournaments will take place in six cities — Wichita (Class 6A), Emporia (5A), Salina (4A), Hutchinson (3A), Manhattan (2A) and Dodge City (1A).