St. Patrick’s Day parades nixed, from New York to Dublin due to coronavirus

In this Saturday, March 16, 2019, file photo, bagpipers and others march up Fifth Avenue during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York. The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade has been postponed for the first time in its 258-year history because of coronavirus concerns, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday, March 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) In this Saturday, March 16, 2019, file photo, bagpipers and others march up Fifth Avenue during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York. The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade has been postponed for the first time in its 258-year history because of coronavirus concerns, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday, March 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

By JENNIFER PELTZ and DON BABWIN / The Associated Press March 12, 2020 5 min read

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NEW YORK (AP) – The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been postponed for the first time in its 258-year history because of coronavirus concerns, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday.

The postponement of the March 17 parade adds to the roster of events and holidays upended around the world by the spreading infection. Chicago, Boston, and even the Irish capital of Dublin, have cancelled St. Patrick’s Day parades.

The New York parade honoring Irish heritage dates back longer than the United States and draws tens of thousands of marchers and throngs of spectators to Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

Cuomo, a Democrat, said while the risk of transmission might be lower in an outdoor gathering, health experts had urged him to call it off.