NYC and Chicago postpone St. Patrick's Day Parades
New York City, which boasts of having largest and oldest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the country, is postponing the annual parade due to the coronavirus outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. His announcement came hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfood announced at a press conference Wednesday Chicago would postpone their parade and the annual practice of dyeing the river green.
"We believe postponing the parade is in the best interest of public health," Cuomo posted on Twitter.
The New York City Parade has been held since 1762 and typically attracts up to 2 million spectators, in addition to the 150,000 marchers. It has never been canceled before.
Multiple other cities in the U.S., including Boston and Philadelphia, as well as the entire country of Ireland, have canceled or postponed their events for the holiday.
"As you might imagine this was not an easy decision and we don't take it lightly," said Lightfoot. "We were mindful of the impact that this event has on our city and our communities. Nonetheless, like cities across the nation, we concluded that having a parade at this time posed unnecessary risks to the public's health."
There are now more than 1,000 cases in the United States — eight times more than just a week earlier, as of Wednesday. At least 32 people have died of the virus nationwide. There are over 120,000 cases worldwide, and more than 4,300 people have died. The vast majority of cases are mild, and almost half of those infected have already recovered.
Experts say washing your hands is the best way to prevent the spread of infectious illnesses like coronavirus. In addition, the CDC advises that you should also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; cover your mouth with your elbow rather than your hand, when you cough or sneeze; and disinfect objects and surfaces frequently.
If you feel like you're developing symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, call your doctor. Those could be signs of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
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