Dustin Wyatt

dwyatt@shj.com

With all the hysteria surrounding the coronavirus lately, Dana Moore figures people could use a distraction — maybe even a few cold alcoholic drinks.

The manager of Delaney’s Irish Pub said the bar’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Shenanigans on the Square, which draws a crowd so large each year that it spills out into the streets of downtown Spartanburg, will go on this weekend as planned.

“This hasn’t affected anyone we know, so we are going to party,” Moore said. “I figure the alcohol can help. It is nothing that a little green beer can’t cure.”

Events are being canceled across the globe as a result of the coronavirus, which has infected 1,000 people in the U.S. — including nine in South Carolina, one in Spartanburg — and more than 12,000 worldwide.

Ireland put the squeeze on its St. Patrick’s Day parades. Boston, which has a large Irish-American population, followed suit.

Massive music festivals, like the South by Southwest scheduled for this week in Austin, Texas, have also been canceled. In New York, where more than 100 cases have been confirmed within 10 miles of Manhattan, an international Auto Show slated for late April has been postponed.

For now though, the city of Spartanburg intends to carry out its events as planned, including Music on Main, which starts April 2, and Spring Fling, which is scheduled April 24-26 in downtown.

But things could change at any point, said City Manager Chris Story.

“We are carefully monitoring the situation,” Story said, adding that the city will follow guidance from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control regarding events.

According to Story, the guidance given to the city reads as follows:

“To date, DHEC does not recommend closing schools or canceling public events at this time. DHEC will monitor absentee rates in schools and businesses as well as reports of illness in the community to determine if or when closures may be recommended. DHEC also is providing updated recommendations to schools and daycare facilities, colleges and universities, and organizers of large events.”

Spartanburg’s coronavirus case involves an employee at Ritrama, a manufacturing plant in Moore that’s headquartered in Italy.

The CEO of the Moore plant, Lucio Siano, has not returned multiple phone calls from The Herald-Journal.

Sunday, when the Spartanburg presumptive case was announced, Dr. Linda Bell, a state epidemiologist, said DHEC was investigating the man’s case to determine who he may have had contact with between Italy and when he arrived home.

That information, such as which grocery stores or restaurants he may have visited during that time frame, will not be released by DHEC.

“DHEC performs extensive contact investigations to identify and notify persons potentially exposed to each case in a timely manner,” DHEC spokeswoman Laura Renwick said in an email. “Due to privacy concerns, DHEC will not comment on individuals who have been identified as contacts of cases.”

She continued: “We will always relay to the public the information that is necessary to protect their health and make personal decisions, but we are not releasing certain details that could compromise a person’s right to privacy. Several individuals have explicitly asked our staff to not provide identifying information, and we respect that request.”

In response to the coronavirus, several local businesses are no longer allowing employees to travel outside the country.

Colleges have rolled out changes as well. Several students have seen their much-anticipated study abroad trips canceled or cut short.

The University of South Carolina has extended spring break another week and it’s among the many higher education institutions in South Carolina that’s considering moving away from the traditional classroom format and toward online programs.

“We are prepared to teach classes online if necessary,” said USC Upstate spokesman Trevor Anderson.

One thing seems certain though: The coronavirus won’t kill the buzz in downtown Spartanburg this weekend.

Expect to find green beer and leprechaun hats as you would any other St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

The Fr8yard’s event, Yard of Malarkey, typically draws around 1,000 people over the course of the day, said owner Kenneth Cribb.

This year, nine bands are expected to perform. The show will go on.

“We’ve got a bunch of good beer and good cocktails,” said Cribb. “We are having a big ol’ party.”

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