THE LONDON St Patrick's Day Parade has been cancelled due to coronavirus fears.
The Greater London Authority has confirmed that the annual St Patrick's Day parade, due to take place this Sunday, 14 March, has been cancelled due to the growing threat of COVID-19.
The GLA acknowledged that the decision will come as a disappointment to many, but that many others will also be reassured by the decision which has been made in order to protect people.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan released a statement in which he said:
“London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations are an annual highlight for so many people. So I am incredibly disappointed that this year’s event has had to be cancelled as key performers and parade participants are no longer able to take part due to the ongoing threat of coronavirus.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan at a previous year's St Patrick's Day parade in London“London’s Irish community makes a huge contribution to our great city. I recognise that the unavailability of key performers and parade participants leaves no choice but to cancel. I know this will be extremely disappointing news for so many Londoners and visitors to our capital.”
The decision means that London is now among cities such as Dublin, New York and Boston which have cancelled the annual parades in order to contain the threat of the virus.
