Coronavirus alert forces Vail school district to cancel trip to Japan

Roland Cooley says he paid $4,000 last year for his daughter Safia to travel overseas.

She's is one of six seniors at Empire High School in the Vail School District who paid for a 9-day trip to Japan.

"IT WAS CANCELLED AND THEYSAID WE WOULD GET A VOUCHERROLAND COOLEY SAYS HE PAID 4-THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST YEAR FORHIS DAUGHTER SAH-FEE- AH TOTRAVEL OVERSEAS--SHE'S ONE OF6 SENIORS AT EMPIRE HIGHSCHOOL WHO REGISTERED FOR A 9DAY TRIP TO JAPAN.

---- 16OTHER STUDENTS WERE ON THELIST.

AND SET TO LEAVE ONMARCH 9TH.

"SHE'S VERYDISAPPOINTED SHE WAS LOOKINGFORWARD TO THIS FOR A YEAR,"THEN WHEN NEWS OF THE CORONONAVIRUS HIT THE (SCHOOLOFFICIALLY CANCELLED THETRIP-- AND NOW MR. COOLEY SAYSHE WANT'S A REFUND... BUT WASOFFERED A VOUCHER THAT HISDAUGHTER CAN'T USE.

"IT ISTRANSFERRABLE IT MAKESPROBLEMS WITH US TRYING TOSELL THIS THING TO SOMEBODYELSE WHEN WE HAD NO CHOICE ONWHEN IT WAS CANCELLED," THEFAMILY ALSO BOUGHT TRAVELINSURANCE--THEY CALLED ANDFOUND OUT --IT DIDN'T APPLY TOTHE SITUATION.

"THEY TELL YOUWELL , YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOSTYOUR PASSPORT THEY DAY BEFOREHAVE A DEATH IN THE FAMILY APERSON IN YOUR FAMILY BEMILITARY HAVE ORDERS TOLEAVE," KGUN 9 REACHED OUT TOEMPIRE HIGH-SCHOOL ABOUT ASOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM ANDTHEY SENT A STATEMENT THATSAYS IN PART--- "THE VAILSCHOOL DISTRICT'S TOP PRIORITYIS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OFSTUDENTS.

VAIL TAKES EVERYPOSSIBLE MEASURE TO KEEPSTUDENTS OUT OF POTENTIALLYDANGEROUS SITUATIONS.

THESCHOOL WORKED WITH EF TOURS TORESCHEDULE THE TRIP FOR JUNEOF 2021..

AS FOR THE SENIORS"THEY WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OFATTENDING THE TRIP IN JULY OF2021." "EMPIRE HIGH SCHOOLCANCELLED IT WITHOUT HAVING AMEETING WITH THE PARENTSWITHOUT TALKING TO THEPARENTS," WITHIN 24 HOURS OFCONTACTING EF- EDUCATIONALTOURS ABOUT (OUR STORY..ASPOKESPERSON RESPONDED ANDSAID THE COMPANY DECIDED TOEXPAND THEIR "PEACE OF MINDPROGRAM" BECAUSE OF THECORONAVIRUS.

WE'RE ALSO TOLDQUOTE: "THE TRAVEL VOUCHER ISGOOD FOR ANY OF EF'SINDEPENDENT PRODUCTS" SOBASICALLY NOW THE COOLEY'S CANUSE OR TRANSFER THE TRAVELVOUCHER FOR ANY EF TOUR IN THEWORLD..WITHOUT LIMITATIONS..AND WHILE A FULL REFUND ISOUT--- A NEW AND (MOREFLEXIBLE OPTION IS AVAILABLE.THE FAMILY HAS UNTIL SEPTEMBEROF 20-21 TO USE THE VOUCHER.WE HAVE THE FULL STATEMENTSAND TRAVEL INFORMATION ON OURWEBSITE KGUN 9 DOT COM--SHAWNDREA THOMAS KGUN 9 ONYOUR SIDE.DURING THE CORONAVIRUSOUTBREAK... CATALINA UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCH IS PUTTINGNEW CLEANLINESS AND SAFETYMEASURES IN PLACE.

HANDSANITIZERS ARE BEING PLACED ATENTRYWAYS OF EACH WORSHIPAREA.

AND PASTORS WILL LEADPEOPLE IN A (VERBAL GREETINGOF PEACE.

THE CHURCH ALSO SAYSCOMMUNION MAY BE SUSPENDEDTEMPORARILY.

WE WILL DO THATIF ITS THE RECOMMENDATION OFTHE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN OURAREA SO THATS HAPPENED INSEATTLE BUT ITS NOTRECOMMENDED HERE.

IF IT COMESTO THAT WE WILL DO WHATEVER TOKEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.

THECHURCH IS ENCOURAGING THOSEWITH HEALTH CONCERNS TO REMAINHOME AND JOIN IN VIA LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE ON ITSWEBSITE.ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN PAUL GOSARANNOUNCED ON TWITTER HE ISUNDER SELF- QUARANTINE AFTER APERSON AT C-PAC WAS CONFIRMEDTO HAVE CORONAVIRUS.

THREE OFGOSAR'S SENIOR STAFF WILL ALSOSELF-QUARANTINE.

THECONGRESSMAN SAYS HIS OFFICEWILL BE CLOSED FOR THE WEEK.THIS FOLLOWS AN ANNOUCEMENTFROM TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZTHAT HE WILL SELF- QUARANTINEFOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTERSHAKING HANDS WITH A MAN WHOTESTED POSITIVE FOR THEILLNESS.FROM IRAQ TO ITALY AND HERE ATHOME... THE CORONAVIRUSCONTINUES TO CLOSE DOWNSCHOOLS AND RESTRICT TRAVEL.ZACHARY KIESCH HAS A LOOK ATTHE IM