UPDATED: Raimondo Calls on Newport To Cancel St. Patrick's Day Parade, Event Now Postponed
GoLocalProv News Team
UPDATED: Raimondo Calls on Newport To Cancel St. Patrick's Day Parade, Event Now Postponed
“The Governor’s top priority is containing the spread of coronavirus, and she is recommending that Newport postpone or cancel the parade in the interest of safety,” Josh Block, Press Secretary to Raimondo told GoLocal on Wednesday morning.
The Newport City Council voted Tuesday night not to cancel the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Then, Wednesday night the Council reversed course for the third time and voted to cancel the parade.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGoLocal has confirmed that the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) had recommended to the parade organizers to cancel or postpone the event.
“The parade planning committee reached out to us for guidance. We did recommend the postponement or cancelation of the parade. Because COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact with one another (within roughly 6 feet), canceling or postponing large events can help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Rhode Island,” said Joseph Wendelken, the Public Information Officer for RIDOH.
Coronavirus in RI
In Rhode Island, the number of coronavirus cases has increased to 5.
In just over a week, the number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts has grown from 1 to 92.
Dr. Peter Simon, who served as the Medical Director at the Rhode Island Department of Health, is calling on Governor Gina Raimondo to cancel all public events.
He served in the Medical Director role for the Division of Community, Family Health and Equity four years, and worked at the Health Department for nearly 25 years.
Call to Action
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Simon posted, “Governor, please tell all organizations in RI including RIDE and PPSD not to convene hundreds of people over the weekend. We have community spread, even without the testing data we needed three weeks ago, so pull the trigger and issue an order to stop these dangerous meetings. Our ICU's and ventilators have limited capacity.”
In responding to a Facebook question regarding the now-scheduled Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Simon wrote, “Newport needs to make a choice between overwhelming their hospital or having a parade.”
On Tuesday, the Newport City Council held an emergency meeting and voted not to revoke the parade permit. Mayor Jamie Bova, Jeanne Marie Napolitano, Kathryn Leonard and Lynn Underwood Ceglie voted in favor of the parade. The council chamber was packed with bar and restaurant owners and employees.
Council members Justin McLaughlin, Angela McCalla and Susan Taylor voted to revoke the parade’s permit.
Boston has canceled its St. Patrick's Day parade for fear of spreading the virus. Both Rhode Island and Massachusetts have declared states of emergency due to the coronavirus.