London's St Patrick's Day parade — along with many associated events — has been cancelled due to fears surrounding coronavirus.
The mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced on Twitter that key performers and parade participants can no longer take part due to the spread of Covid-19. It's notable that this is the given reason for the cancellation, rather than fears of mass public congregation (the Sunday parade and festivities usually see 50,000 people). The British government has not officially outlawed major public gatherings, although some — including the Premier League — are now doing this of their own accord.
UPDATE: London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations are an annual highlight for many, so I'm incredibly disappointed that this year’s event has had to be cancelled as key performers and parade participants are no longer able to participate due to the ongoing threat of coronavirus.
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) March 13, 2020
Compared to other cities, London's cancellation comes belatedly. Dublin, Cork, New York and Chicago had all cancelled their St Patrick's Day celebrations earlier this week.
While the parade itself has been cancelled, other events such as the St Patrick's Film Festival have only been postponed until further notice, with plans to reschedule the festival until this summer.
