* Boston Herald…
Boston’s historic and beloved St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the political breakfast that precedes it have both been canceled due to fears of spreading coronavirus at mass events.
“In collaboration with Congressman (Stephen) Lynch, Councilors (Michael) Flaherty and (Ed) Flynn, Senator (Nick) Collins, Representative (David) Biele, and David Falvey from the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is being canceled,” Mayor Martin Walsh announced in a statement Monday, just six days before the parade was due to step off on Sunday. “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.”
Both Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker — who is cutting short a Utah ski trip to return to the state — had resisted canceling events for weeks, and there was no word Monday on whether the Boston Marathon set for mid-April will go ahead. Several other major races worldwide have been scaled back or canceled.
The St. Pat’s decision came as the number of presumptive coronavirus cases in Massachusetts jumped to 41 cases on Monday, essentially doubling over Saturday night and then again Sunday night. The virus has sickened more than 100,000 worldwide and killed thousands prompting cancellations of the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland’s two biggest cities of Dublin and Cork, according to reports.
* Same newspaper…
Students will be asked not to return to Harvard University after spring break and instead continue classes remotely, according to an announcement Tuesday morning.
The decision was announced in an email this morning by Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow.
* One more…
The coronavirus toll linked to a Biogen management meeting in Boston has now jumped to 32 people infected in Massachusetts — with an investment bank in New York City alerting hundreds more about the viral risk.
Cambridge-based Biogen confirmed Monday they have warned both Manhattan investment bank Cowen & Co. and Boston’s State Room venue about company managers who have COVID-19 who may have come in contact with others.
About 175 Biogen managers coming from all over the world — “Yes, from Italy,” a company spokesman confirmed — gathered for a major meeting of the biotech giant held at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel Feb. 26-27. Italy, at that time, was beginning to see the virus spread.
Chicago is also known for its conventions, its numerous institutions of higher learning and its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
* Chicago Tribune…
Even as Boston canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parade, Ireland announced festivities across the island would be halted to try to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus and Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for Illinois because of the disease, Chicago officials said Monday they currently have no plans to call off the two major mid-March parades that draw massive crowds of revelers downtown and to the Southwest Side.
The city’s official parade is set to kick off at noon Saturday. The South Side Irish Parade takes place on Sunday along Western Avenue in the Far Southwest Side Beverly neighborhood. Each can draw crowds well into the hundreds of thousands if the weather’s nice. […]
“While there are currently no plans to cancel St. Patrick’s Day activities or other large events planned at this time, the City of Chicago is actively monitoring conditions and will recommend additional strategies as needed to prevent the spread of the virus,” Stratton said in a statement. “We continue to refine our citywide COVID-19 response plan in consultation with partners at the CDC, IDPH, CDPH as well as the parade organizers to ensure an operational plan is in place to protect the health and safety of our residents and visitors.”
Asked whether there’s talk of halting the South Side parade, Ald. Matt O’Shea, 19th, responded: “Absolutely not! The 42nd annual South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off on Sunday March 15th at 12 p.m. #WashYourHands.”
* From the Illinois statute books…
The Department of Public Health shall investigate the causes of dangerously contagious or infectious diseases, especially when existing in epidemic form, and take means to restrict and suppress the same, and whenever such disease becomes, or threatens to become epidemic, in any locality and the local board of health or local authorities neglect or refuse to enforce efficient measures for its restriction or suppression or to act with sufficient promptness or efficiency, or whenever the local board of health or local authorities neglect or refuse to promptly enforce efficient measures for the restriction or suppression of dangerously contagious or infectious diseases, the Department of Public Health may enforce such measures as it deems necessary to protect the public health, and all necessary expenses so incurred shall be paid by the locality for which services are rendered.
I didn’t realize until last night that Illinois had such strong epidemic laws. IDPH could shut down the parades if Mayor Lightfoot refuses to pull their permits.
* Atlantic…
When the influenza epidemic of 1918 infected a quarter of the U.S. population, killing tens of millions of people, seemingly small choices made the difference between life and death.
As the disease was spreading, Wilmer Krusen, Philadelphia’s health commissioner, allowed a huge parade to take place on September 28th; some 200,000 people marched. In the following days and weeks, the bodies piled up in the city’s morgues. By the end of the season, 12,000 residents had died.
In St. Louis, a public health commissioner named Max Starkloff decided to shut the city down. Ignoring the objections of influential businessmen, he closed the city’s schools, bars, cinemas, and sporting events. Thanks to his bold and unpopular actions, the per capita fatality rate in St. Louis was half that of Philadelphia. (In total roughly 1,700 people died from influenza in St Louis.)
In the coming days, thousands of people across the country will face the choice between becoming a Wilmer Krusen or a Max Starkloff.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Hmm…
