New York City Cancels 'Seong Patrick's Day' Parade... "Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] New York City, which held the largest St Patrick's Day parade in the United States every year, has canceled the parade due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Following the cancellation of the original parade in Dublin, Ireland, parades across the United States have also been canceled amid COVID-19 concerns.

According to CNN, on the 11th (local time), New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated in a press release, "After several discussions with the organizers, we have decided to postpone the parade," adding, "Since many marchers and spectators gather in high density, it was inevitable to postpone the event to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I applaud the organizers for their cooperation."

Earlier, President Donald Trump announced a national address from the White House Oval Office, stating that starting at midnight on the 13th, entry into the United States from European countries other than the United Kingdom would be restricted for 30 days due to COVID-19. He also said he would request Congress to increase funding by $5 billion to respond to COVID-19. On the same day, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state reports, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the United States surged to 1,329, with 38 deaths.

Immediately after the speech, President Trump canceled a reception and his visits to Nevada and Colorado. He was scheduled to attend the Republican Jewish Coalition National Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a special speaker, but canceled the schedule to prevent COVID-19, and the event was postponed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.