Published Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020

The official word has come in from the Mayor’s Office of the City Of Beacon via City Administrator Anthony J. Ruggiero:

“It is with an abundance of caution and care for our community in the midst of this health crisis, that the difficult decision to postpone the 5th Annual Beacon’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Green on March 14th to a date to be determined.

“The City of Beacon and the Parade Organizers take this decision seriously and the number one commitment is to the safety of both our marchers and our spectators.

“The City and Parade Organizers look forward to celebrating this great parade in the near future. This was an extremely difficult decision for the parade committee and the City, and we ask that you look forward to the future date and stay safe and well.”

A Little Beacon Blog was in contact with the City of Beacon last night (Wednesday) and a parade organizer to get official word, which we were told would come Thursday morning (today), which it did. We urge all people to wait for official word on city events, as there is a way to release information in times like this, when word spreads like a brush fire.

Says Richie from Max’s on Main, who is one of the parade organizers: “We are just going to need to worry about the weather on another weekend.”

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City has also been postponed.

It is important to remember, that people who are testing positive for COVID-19 are at times not showing symptoms. So even if you feel good, you still might be a carrier. People with respiratory issues - or heart conditions - are at the highest risk for the virus to get worse in their bodies, versus others who will recover.

The American Hospital Association has requested additional funding from Congress to increase supplies at hospitals for items like respirators and personal protective equipment, if there are a large number of people at once who need care. The MD and Editor-in-Chief at MedPage Today explains his concerns based on what is developing in Italy with regards to the preparedness of their health care system.

As for New York City’s parade, Governor Cuomo made this statement (as reported by Gothamist):

"Following those conversations [with organizers prior to making the decision], I recommended, and the parade's leadership agreed, to postpone this year's parade due to the high density and the large volume of marchers and spectators who attend. While I know the parade organizers did not make this decision lightly, public health experts agree that one of the most effective ways to contain the spread of the virus is to limit large gatherings and close contacts, and I applaud the parade's leadership for working cooperatively with us."

He added that, "While the risk to New Yorkers remains low and we want to avoid social and economic disruptions, we have an obligation to take action to contain the spread of this virus."

Parade Committee Chair Sean Lane said, "We look forward to celebrating the 259th St. Patrick's Day Parade with the entire city of New York at a later date."