'We have to take care of our citizens': Savannah postpones St. Patrick's Day festivities over coronavirus Savannah St. Patrick's Day Festival and Parade postponed over Coronavirus Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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DECLARED THE CORONAVIRUS A PANDEMIC. SHANNON: LET’S GO LIVE TO CITY HALL AND LISTEN IN ON A SPECIAL MEETING CALLED BY SAVANNAH CITY LEADERS. >> ALDERMAN NICK PALOMBO, DISTRICT FOR ALDERMAN CURTIS PARTY, DISTRICT SIX. I THINK THESE ELECTRIC LEADERS -- THESE ELECTED LEADERS THAT ARE GETTING OFF PLANES FROM A CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. SEVERAL MORE ALDERMAN ARE IN ROUTE. FROM WASHINGTON. THEY WILL BE BACK LATER THIS EVENING. THIS HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING TIME IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY, AS WE ARE NOW WATCHING THE PANDEMIC KNOWN AS CORONAVIRUS, OR COVID-19. ADMITTEDLY, THESE HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE HARDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, AS I WRESTLE WITH A DECISION I HAVE BEEN INTERESTED TO MAKE, A DECISION THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE UNHAPPY AND UPSET NO MATTER WHAT THE DECISION WAS. WE WERE BETWEEN THE PROVERBIAL ROCK AND A REAL ROCK. BUT WE ARE BLESSED AS A COMMUNITY TO HAVE PARTNERS THAT WE CAN BRING AROUND THE TABLE, DISCUSS PRESSING ISSUES, AND MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION. WE MADE A DECISION. IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE, SAVANNAH’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL AND PARADE WILL NOT GO ON AS PLANNED. TO PREVENT TRANSMISSIONS FROM LARGE, OPEN AIR EVENTS LIKE THE LARGE EVENTS WE HAVE IN SAVANNAH DURING THE ST. PATRICK’S CELEBRATIONS. THE SITUATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. WHILE THE RISK IN SAVANNAH REMAINS LOW, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP THOSE LIVING IN OUR CITIES SAFE AND HEALTHY. SAVANNAH IS OK RIGHT NOW, AND WE WANT HER TO REMAIN THAT WAY. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR IN SAVANNAH, AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT OUR CITY IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS. PEOPLE ARE HERE, PEOPLE WILL BE VISITING THIS WEEKEND, AND BUSINESSES HAVE UPPED THEIR GAME, IMPRESSIVELY SO, TO PROVIDE THE SAFEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE. BUT LET US KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR TOP PRIORITY IS PREVENTING TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, ANY LOCAL CASES AND TRANSMISSION, AND WE ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO GUIDANCE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS. THE COASTAL HEALTH DISTRICT AND OUR HOSPITALS HAVE ASSURED US THAT THEY ARE READY, AS ALWAYS, TO CARE FOR ALSO BEEN -- ALL SAVANNIANS. WHILE THIS IS A DIFFICULT DECISION, WE MUST, WE MUST PUT THE HEALTH, WEALTH, AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS FIRST. WE ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO FOLLOW PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO AVOID ILLNESS, LIKE WASHING HANDS, AVOIDING CLOSE CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO ARE SICK, AND IF YOU ARE SICK, TO STAY HOME. I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THIS DECISION, THE SAVANNAH RIVER FRONT ASSOCIATION, THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE COMMITTEE, THE COASTAL HEALTH DISTRICT, THE TOURISM LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, THE SAVANNAH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CITY MARKET, THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, ST. JOSEPH'S CANDLER, MEMORIAL HEALTH, AND VISIT SAVANNAH. I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER, PAT MONAHAN, CITY ATTORNEY BATES LOVE IT, CITY CLERK MARK MASSEY, OUR CITY CHIEFS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, PARTICULARLY THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE MAYOR MARTY JOHNSON, AND ALL OF OUR AWESOME EMPLOYEES WHO GIVE THEIR BEST EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS. WE HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 17:33 -- WE HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 1733 AND WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN, BUT WE WILL ONLY GET THROUGH IT TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER AND BEING TOGETHER. DR. DAVIS? >> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I KNOW THE DECISION MADE BY THE CITY AND MAYOR JOHNSON WAS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ONE, AND WE KNOW THIS IS NOT A DECISION THAT OUR CITY LEADERS HAVE TAKEN LIGHTLY. COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE ARE MAKING ETHICAL DECISIONS RIGHT NOW, FACED WITH MANY UNKNOWNS, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THESE UNKNOWNS AND THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF THIS NOW PANDEMIC THAT WE ARE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE DECISION MADE. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN CHATHAM COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS NOT CHANGED YET. WE STILL DON’T HAVE A CONFIRMED LOCAL CASE OF COVID-19 IN A RESIDENT OF CHATHAM COUNTY OR A CONTIGUOUS COUNTY. HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT THE VIRUS IS APPEARING IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY AND STATE, INCLUDING NOW SOUTH GEORGIA, AND IT COULD BE SOON DETECTED HERE. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT IS A MATTER OF WHEN AT THIS POINT IN TIME. HERE IS WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THE PEOPLE OF SAVANNAH. THE KIND AND GENEROUS WITH ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE FEARFUL OF YOUR NEIGHBOR. IF YOU ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE COMPLICATIONS OF A RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, YOU SHOULD AVOID PUBLIC PLACES AND CROWDS AND IF YOU ARE ELDERLY AND HAVE RISK, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD AVOID YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP, AS WELL. IF YOU ARE NOT IN A HIGH RISK GROUP AND YOU ARE BASICALLY HEALTHY, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. EAT IN RESTAURANTS, AFTER YOU WASH YOUR HANDS OF COURSE. GO SHOPPING. IF YOU ARE HEALTHY, GO TO SCHOOL, GO TO WORK AND GO TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU’RE NOT IN A HIGH RISK GROUP. IF WE NEED TO CHANGE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ASK FOR MORE SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL COMMUNICATE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE ASKING YOU TO JUST TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS ABOUT PERSONAL HYGIENE, STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK AND STAY ALERT IN CASE HELP RECOMMENDATIONS MAY CHANGE. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING, A HEALTHY COMMUNITY WITH A RETURN TO NORMAL LIFE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. >> WE WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. FLEX CAN YOU TELL US [INDISCERNIBLE] >> THERE WAS SOMEONE HERE WHO WALKED OUT. PEOPLE ARE VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. AND UNDERSTANDABLY SO. ST. PATRICK’S IS SYNONYMOUS WITH SAVANNAH. IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE, INCLUDING MYSELF, LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN. IT IS NOT AN EASY DECISION. FOR FOLKS TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE, CONTRACTS, PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO TOWN. I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND IN THE MIDST OF THE DISAPPOINTMENT THAT IN THE END, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS AND WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE WITHIN OUR DATES. I THINK THEY WOULD BE UPSET IF SOMETHING OCCURRED AND IT COULD BE TRACED ASKED TO SAVANNAH AND THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVITIES. EMOTIONS ARE HIGH, THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE. WE GET IT. BUT IN THE END, PUBLIC SAFETY HAS TO COME FIRST. >> YOU WERE JUST LISTENING IN ON A SPECIAL NEWS CONFERENCE HELD BY CITY LEADERS TO ADDRESS THE STATUS OF THIS YEARS’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION. MAYOR VAN JOHNSON WAS FACED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION BUT HE DID SO IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS OF THE CITY AND HE SAID THE PARADE, THE SAVANNAH ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL, WILL NOT GO ON AS PLANNED. AGAIN, IT WILL NOT GO ON AS PLAN

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