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Boston cancels St. Patrick's Day parade
By adamg on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 6:08pm
Mayor Walsh made the announcement this afternoon:
In collaboration with Congressman Lynch, Councilors Flaherty and Flynn, Senator Collins, Representative Biele, and David Falvey from the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, the St. Patrick's Day Parade is being cancelled. This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing what is needed to keep the residents of Boston safe and healthy.
"While the risk in Boston remains low, this situation is changing very quickly and we are closely monitoring any local cases. Our top priority is preventing any new cases, to the best of our ability, and we are paying close attention to guidance from public health officials. We encourage all residents to follow preventive measures to avoid illness, such as washing hands and staying home if you are feeling sick, and we will continue to make public any information as this situation develops in Boston.
Also canceled: The annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast. State Sen. Nick Collins said in a statement:
As Mayor Walsh and the city of Boston continue to take steps to stop the spread of coronavirus, the decision has been made to cancel this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. While I am disappointed we won’t be able to celebrate with the annual St Patrick’s Day Breakfast this year, it is clear that this is the proper decision based on the advice of experts and public health officials. Although the threat in Massachusetts remains low, the situation is changing rapidly. Public health and safety must be our top priority.
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Comments
Your call, Scituate
Any news on whether the Scituate parade will proceed as scheduled? (Also curious about Savannah and New York City.)
Scituate parade "is still on"
according to their web page. It did not say that earlier today.
Not Cead Mile Failte
Not Cead Mile Failte
Cead Mile Meisce
And no, alcohol doesn't kill the virus when you use it internally.
Thank goodness!
.
Shit just got real.
.
Shit stays home this year
along with snot and vomit.
I can see I missed a lot
I can see I missed a lot by never going to the St. Patrick's parade.
Or rode the Red Line afterward.
You don't have to go to get the experience :-)
Marathon
Mayor Walsh should make a decision on the marathon soon.
So goes the parade, so goes
So goes the parade, so goes the marathon.
Marathon Monday
Doesn't bode well :(
Nor does the Olympics
Parades come and go.
I feel for any athletes that miss their shot to compete. They don't get that back.
It's happened before...
...for stupider reasons, that athletes didn't get their shot at the Olympics.
People need to get some perspective. If you know anyone who was alive in WWII, ask them -- all kinds of "once in a lifetime" events were missed or severely curtailed or altered because of the events happening in the world. This is one of those events. If you had plans for a college graduation, a big huge wedding, going to that big music festival, whatever...well, they may not happen this year.
I know it’s happened before
Still will suck for any athletes if it happens now. Which is what we’re talking about.
Let the elite runners run
At least have the real "race".
The Real Runners?
The "real runners" are anyone who worked their ass off to qualify. The standards get higher every year, which is great because it ensures competition, but let's not put down anyone who has worked to make it to that level. Also, if you're saying we shouldn't let charity runners compete, that would be really unfortunate. It's not easy to raise $10,000+ as an individual, and their efforts benefit our city in many ways. If anything they should work to limit spectators. I'd prefer to give the runners their due and watch on TV.
Didn't say that
Have frequently hosted marathon runners and I have tremendous respect and admiration for their dedication. But if you can't run a marathon in under 2.5 hours for men a bit more for women, you're a runner, not a racer. I'm saying let the racers race.
All moot. Look forward to cheering them all on in a few months.
He’ll take heat either way
He’ll take heat either way but a major parade after WWI sunk Philadelphia into complete pandemic from the Spanish Flu in 1918. Mayor Walsh made the right call here. They’re going to have to cancel the Marathon too almost certainly.
He’ll take heat either way
Hey, it's not as if he's taking a stand on space savers.
Philadelphia
is still having its parade. With their 1918 history, I'm surprised.
Take heat?
Who cares? The parade is a joke.
90% of the locals have either died or moved to the irish riviera and the kids that are left just use it as an excuse to fight the yuppies and puke in the street.
No, Virginia, there ain't gonna be any leprechauns
Vomiting, Urinating, Fornicating & Defecating on private property along the parade route this year.
And lots of good decent folks
And lots of good decent folks will miss out on a fun time too. Let’s not forget that.
Bomont, Utah was right to ban music and dancing
Damn that Ren McCormack... It does lead to fornicating...
Not even the Italian Mayor
could do what this Irish Mayor has been trying for the last 4 years. First the blizzard, then the snow storms, now President Trump and the Corona Virus.
Remember the old Vulcan
Remember the old Vulcan proverb: Only Nixon could go to China.
Awful
So all of the bars and house parties will be canceled too right, lol? Wasn't Marty just encouraging everyone to go to Chinatown and eat at those restaurants last week? And what about all the outrage at the low turnout to the Chinese New Year celebrations this year? I wonder if they'll cancel the Bruins and Celtics games. Maybe the Michael Buble concert too. How big does an event have to be to be considered dangerous I wonder.....The St. Ann's CYO bball game the other night was packed to capacity!
Life comes at you fast, huh?
The Chinatown thing was in reaction to people avoiding restaurants there at a time when we had exactly 1 coronavirus case, when there was no proof you were any more at risk there than anywhere else in the city - which is still the case today (hey, anybody boycott the North End when cases started breaking out in Italy?).
Now that we're seeing coronavirus actually spreading in the community (see today's post about the Norwood town manager being infected at a party), cramming several hundred thousand people into South Boston (and before they even get there, onto a Red Line that has problems running well even on regular days) just might not be the smartest of moves.
Much agreed
This is one case where the Mayor is using common sense and saying, "Would we rather cancel the parade, or have a possible expansion of COVID-19?"
It would surprise me if the city didn't ask the BAA to postpone the Boston Marathon to months later, an event which in itself has even more throngs of people than the St. Patrick's Day parade.
It would suprise me even more
if the BAA actually agreed to postpone the Marathon.
They're stubborn crusty old bastards...
...but it ain't their private racetrack.
I don't see a reason to postpone or cancel the Marathon
It is 26.2 miles long, and the cities and towns can encourage spectators to spread out along the route instead of concentrating in a few popular places like Kenmore Square, Coolidge Corner, and Wellesley Square.
Los Angeles ran its marathon as scheduled yesterday. It was of comparable size and scale to ours.
Boston would need a plan though
From Kenmore to Copley, that is a lot of people all packed in along the side lines.
They can encourage spectators to spread out
but can't force them. Many people like to watch near the end of the marathon to see there loved ones cross the finish line.
YEAH
What harm could come from people coming into Boston on flights from ALL AROUND THE WORLD to not only compete but spectate at a giant athletic event that will cram millions of people into a dozen communities in a large metro area, many using public transit, etc.
You are clearly a deep thinker.
Wha?
Yeah, its not like tens of thousands of people don't congregate at the end of the race all day.
On what planet would your plan work?
At this point, more likely
At this point, more likely that 5hey will try some half measure of reducing size/number of spectator areas.
Perhaps segregating smaller start groups. Definitely revise the clothes dump and body waste purging in Hopkinton.
If the virus starts to reduce the ranks of available public works, police, etc... it may become too much of a strain to stage the event.
Another option would be to keep the elites on Patriots Day (oh, God - 4/20!!!) and reschedule the masses for a date in fall.
Really, they've got at least 4 weeks yet to decide - that leaves 2 weeks until the race
I have solved this problem
Answer: run the race down to Pascoag, RI. That's about 26 miles and will attract way fewer spectators and there's no public transportation systems or dense urban areas for the spread of viruses to impact.
It's the Boston Marathon
Not the Pascoag marathon!
Sheesh.
"anywhere else in the city"
And much less so than say, a Biogen conference...
Ignorance is bliss!
Personally you won't catch me or my family at any public event until further notice.
Good luck, guy.
I had lunch in Chinatown
I had lunch in Chinatown yesterday; China Pearl was uncrowded, so it was easy for them to separate us from the other diners. Right now, the riskiest bit of that outing is riding the 73 bus.
Then ....
Easter egg hunts, Cinco De Mayo, graduation season, Pride, July 4...
We need Casey at the bat if we're to ever have any joy in Mudville...
Casey is already covered
They're talking about playing the games, but not letting people attend. So you'll just have to watch them on TV or listen to them on the radio.
Casey was traded
To the Dodgers to keep the team under the salary cap*.
* which the owner pretended wasn't a salary cap.
.
Wicked shitty
I would take my chances at
I would take my chances at the St Patrick’s Day parade with the coronavirus over the odds of getting shot at the Caribbean Festival.
Maybe Reddit or 4chan
Is a better place for your racist nonsense?
Anecdotal evidence only,
but I never got shot at the Caribbean Festival, have had my shoes puked on by strangers like six times at the Southie St. Paddy’s parade. Guessing the latter is a riskier bet n the Covid-19 era.
Why did you go 6 times?
Good lord.
In fairness...
They didn’t say they WENT six times, they said they got puked on six times.
Everybody needs a hobby
.
I lived in City Point for a while. I'm back in the South End
these days. It's a lot less vomity come March 17. (And no space-savers, evah.)
disclosure: im an older corny white dude
And lived in Southie for a decade.
And when I was there it was Every. Single. Year.
vomit, urine, feces, cans, underwear, ping pong balls, broken furniture...
it was all over the street. on and under cars, front steps, EVERYWHERE.
I went to the caribbean festival exactly twice and had a really great time with music, dancing, great food, and precisely zero drunk angry frat bros staring me down for yelling at them for pissing on my stairs.
gtfo of here with your racist bs.
Profiles in Courage
Mayor Marty and his political allies decision to cancel the parade is a political decision not a wise decision. Cancel the Saint Patricks day parade and instead of closing bars at 7pm they will stay open till 1pm and will be packed. What about canceling the Flower show, the harbor cruise luncheons and all sporting events at the Garden?
Can someone explain the courage and wisdom of local leaders who now make the mandatory trip to Chinatown for the luncheon specials and encourage families to visit Chinatown but to avoid South Boston for an outdoor parade?
What's next from our pols a warning not to ride the MBTA unless you have too? My answer to that one is who in their right mind rides the MBTA for fun?
Maybe it's like that joke about the Rat bathrooms:
all long-time parade attendees are immune.
jokes are a good way to
jokes are a good way to discharge emotional fear within a population; maybe not an actual public health strategy.
Cancel Everything. https:/
Cancel Everything. https://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2020/03/cancel-everythi...