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COVID-19 affecting local family, businesses, and area events

President Donald Trump’s travel ban on Europe is having a major effect on a Galesburg family and business owners.

Owners of the Knox County Brewing Company, Matthew and Sarah Hansen as well as their family, are currently in Europe where the virus has ravaged several nations.

The president’s travel ban puts a halt to European travelers coming to the United States but will allow U-S citizens to come back home.

In a Facebook post, the Hansens say that they will be allowed to re-enter the states but may be subject to screening; and due to the hysteria of what is happening at airports, they plan to follow through with the trip as planned and travel to Paris tomorrow.

They say that they’ve been in touch with American Airlines and — should the airlines want to fly them out quickly, they’ll follow the airlines’ lead but, so far, all seems well with them.

They say they still plan to reopen on March 20th when they are scheduled to get back.

With the World Health Organization declaring the Coronavirus and COVID-19 a “pandemic,” life is getting disrupted on a local level.

Concerns over potentially spreading the virus have lead to the cancellations of the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen’s dinners for tonight as well as March 26.

The Galesburg Civic Art Center took a precautionary measure by canceling tomorrow’s Galex 54 National Juried Competition and Exhibition.

Tuesday Çetin, Executive Director of the Art Center said it was, quote, “out of an abundance of caution and care for the community” that they made the decision.

Additionally, Western Illinois University has canceled classes between March 14-20, at which time they say they’ll “resume in an alternative format” until at least April 3.

WIU says that all events on either campus with more than 50 participants scheduled between now and April third would be canceled unless deemed essential for University operations.

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