Danbury cancels St. Patrick’s Day parade over coronavirus caution

Maddy Fournier, 8 of Danbury Dynamic Dance and Fitness, waits to march in the Danbury St. Patrick's Day Parade. Sunday, March 24, 2019 Maddy Fournier, 8 of Danbury Dynamic Dance and Fitness, waits to march in the Danbury St. Patrick's Day Parade. Sunday, March 24, 2019 Photo: Scott Mullin / For Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Scott Mullin / For Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 138 Caption Close Danbury cancels St. Patrick’s Day parade over coronavirus caution 1 / 138 Back to Gallery

DANBURY — The coronavirus outbreak has led City Hall to cancel the 25th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade planned for March 22, much to the disappointment of the event’s volunteers.

“We are following Mayor Mark’s strong suggestion to cancel,” said parade co-chairwoman Wendy Mitchell on Tuesday, referring to Mayor Mark Boughton. “We are very sorry for the disappointing news.”

If it is any comfort, Ireland has canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parades, according to news reports, as municipal officials exercise an abundance of caution to keep the coronavirus from spreading.

Danbury is the latest Connecticut municipality to call off its St. Patrick’s Day parade, following the suspension of the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day parade on Monday, and the cancelation of the Greater Hartford St. Patrick’s Day parade on Tuesday.

Norwalk has also canceled its parade. That city announced the news on Tuesday, shortly after Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency in Connecticut to allow state agencies to react quickly to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Here and across Connecticut, there have been closings, cancellations and scheduled changes associated with the coronavirus.

In Danbury, it’s the first time the annual parade has been canceled since 2015, when a wicked winter storm that was forecast never came.

“There is nothing we can do,” Mitchell said. “Once it’s canceled you can’t un-cancel it.”

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