St Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin and Belfast cancelled over coronavirus but London still going ahead
PARADES for St Patrick's Day have been cancelled in Dublin and Belfast over the coronavirus outbreak but are set to go ahead in London.
Officials in both cities cited fears over the spread of the virus as the reason for the cancellations which have wrecked Patrick's Day plans on the island.
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Four main events in Dublin have been cancelled as a result of the outbreak in Ireland, which now has 24 cases of the coronavirus.
Further parades and festivals have been cancelled across the country, which attracted an estimated two million people last year according to the .
Events cancelled in Dublin this year include the famous National St. Patrick’s Festival Parade on 17 March, the Festival Village on March 14-17, the Treasure Hunt on 15 March and the Céilí Mór on March 17.
In a statement, the organisers said the decision was "in the best interests of public health".
Meanwhile, Belfast City Council voted last night to postpone their St Patrick's Day Parade and Concert scheduled to take place on the March 17.
They said the decision was taken due to "the public's concern about coronavirus", as cases of the virus in Northern Ireland reached 12.
But festivities are still set to go ahead in London, with the main event taking place on Sunday 15 March.
It includes a large parade and various activities in Trafalgar Square.
The parade, which stretches 1.5 miles from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square, is expected to attract 50,000 people.
There has been no indication so far from officials in London or the government that the parade will be cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Irish Taoiseach Lea Varakar has recently announced a £375.7m package to deal with the outbreak in Ireland.
Several towns around the Republic of Ireland had already cancelled their St Patrick's Day parades prior to today's meeting.
And on Sunday, Ireland's Six Nations game against France was officially postponed due to Covid-19.
As of Tuesday morning, there are 321 confirmed cases of the virus in the UK.
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And doctors have warned Britain faces a coronavirus lockdown like Italy in 14 days with pubs shutting and sporting events being suspended.
It comes after any Brit with a cold, cough, sniffle or fever will be told to stay at home for a week to help halt the spread of the disease.
The whole of Italy is in lockdown with travel and public gatherings banned as the number of deaths soared past 450.
