Ireland May Cancel St. Patrick’s Day  

(Bloomberg) -- Irish authorities are set to make a call on whether to cancel the nation’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations within days, as it grapples with increasing numbers of coronavirus cases.

“Public health experts are considering the issue of St Patrick’s Day,” Irish Health Minister Simon Harris said in an RTE radio interview Monday. “I expect clarity to be brought to that within the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Harris said the government isn’t afraid of making “tough decisions,” pointing to the cancellation of the Ireland versus Italy rugby game last month. Ireland’s national day, which takes place on March 17, sees parades and celebrations across the country and is a key week for the Irish tourist industry. About half a million people attended last year, with thousands traveling from overseas.

The virus is already having an impact. On Monday, Irish hotel operator Dalata said it had seen a “significant reduction in bookings” and “a significant increase in cancellations” since last month.

One parade in the south of the country was canceled last week, while the government has faced calls to halt all mass gatherings in the face of the coronavirus. Ireland has 21 confirmed cases.

“Whatever our public health experts guide us on in terms of St Patrick’s Day is what the government will go with,” Harris said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Flanagan in Dublin at pflanagan23@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ambereen Choudhury at achoudhury@bloomberg.net, Dara Doyle

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