The annual Churchill Fellows Weekend, planned for Saturday and Sunday at the National Churchill Museum, has been postponed over worries about COVID-19.
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"Out of an abundance of caution concerning cases of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, across much of the U.S. and around the globe, the Association of Churchill Fellows has decided to postpone this year's Churchill Fellows Weekend," said Timothy Riley, the museum's director and chief curator. "While no cases of coronavirus have been reported at America's National Churchill Museum or Westminster College, please know that the health and safety of our patrons and all Churchill Fellows is our utmost concern. We will reschedule when the rough seas of uncertainty surrounding this illness settle."
Tom Pagano, a public relations person for Westminster College, noted the event would have drawn in visitors from around the country.
Full refunds, Riley said, will be issued for those who registered for Saturday's dinner and Sunday's Churchill Fellows Brunch, or, if preferred, a receipt for the full amount of your registration will be issued as a tax-deductible donation.
America's National Churchill Museum remains open and is taking a proactive approach to help slow the spread of the virus, Riley said. Museum and custodial staff have increased sanitation efforts in all areas of the museum, including restrooms, exhibit areas, the gift shop and the sanctuary of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury. Hand-sanitizer stations have been placed around the museum.
The event was to feature talks and discussions with dignitaries including the Honorable Michael Y. Scudder Jr., a U.S. appellate judge in Chicago; retired Navy Admiral Michael T. Franken; retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Richard Harding; retired CIA officer Jan P. Herring, a Fulton native; and Dr. Tobias T. Gibson, the John Langton professor of legal studies and political science at Westminster College.
It would also have included the induction of six new members into the Association of Churchill Fellows. The association is an honorary society of men and women dedicated to the development and use of America's National Churchill Museum.
Pagano said the event will be rescheduled for later this year - perhaps in late summer or fall.
Missouri officials announced the state's first case of the disease caused by a novel coronavirus Saturday.
A St. Louis County woman in her 20s tested positive for the disease after returning home from Italy.
As of Saturday, Gov. Mike Parson said. Missouri had tested only 26 individuals for the disease.