Shelter Insurance directs employees to work from home as COVID-19 outbreak continues

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One of Columbia's biggest employers is asking workers not to come into the office as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.

Shelter Insurance said Friday that it is encouraging employees at its corporate headquarters who can work from home to do so. The company said its home office and branch locations will operate with "significantly fewer employees on site," the company said in a news release.

Shelter is also limiting non-essential business travel and suspending in-person meetings of five or more people and visits from outside vendors. Enhanced cleaning will continue at Shelter offices, the company said.

Private companies and public officials continue to take extraordinary steps in an effort to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, which causes the potentially fatal disease COVID-19. President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Parson each issued emergency declarations Friday and Mid-Missouri colleges and universities this week announced they were suspending in-person classes.

The World Health Organization declared the disease a global pandemic this week.

The company did not say how many employees it has in Columbia.