Due to the first and second case of (COVID-19) recently being discovered in Ottawa, various St. Patrick’s Day events are being cancelled until further notice. Scheduled for March 14, the Irish Society of the National Capital Region and Beau’s Brewery have made the decision to postpone both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Ottawa St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
In response to concerns about the spread of Novel Coronavirus, Irish Society NCR and Beau’s have made the difficult decision to postpone the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Party. See https://t.co/48VCGmGZN3 for details.
— Beau’s Brewery (@beausallnatural) March 12, 2020
In a statement on their website they said, “We have been closely monitoring this concern leading up to today. While Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa are still assessing the community risk of transmission as low, the logistics of these events would make it difficult to follow the current recommended guidelines for social distancing. We believe postponing the Ottawa St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Party is the right and responsible thing to do.”
They also mentioned that ticket refunds will be given to those who request them, but they do plan on hosting these events later in the year.
“An email with information about refunds will be going out to all ticket holders when ready, we appreciate your patience,” they said in their statement. “We wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day and hope you still find a fun and safe way to celebrate the wonderful traditions of this holiday.”
The Ottawa Irish Arts have also made the difficult decision to announce the cancelation of their annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner-dance over twitter. According to them, this was not a decision made lightly due to this being the organizations biggest charity of the year. As with the Irish Society if the National Capital Region, the Ottawa Irish Arts will also be refunding those who bought tickets over Eventbrite.
On the bright side, Brew Donkey is still regularly holding their tours as scheduled, taking enthusiasts on a journey through multiple craft breweries, distilleries and several other locations across Ottawa. Ottawa Events is also still going ahead with Ottawa St. Patrick’s Day Party 2020 on March 17 and tickets are still available on Eventbrite. You can visit their Facebook page for more information.
Remember, if you are planning on going out this weekend or on St. Patrick’s Day, you wash your hands frequently, avoid too much prolonged contact with strangers and shower before leaving your home. If you are already showing symptoms, do the proper thing and limit your contact with others by staying in.
By Kory Glover
