Naperville has canceled the St. Patrick’s Day parade and a 5K run scheduled for Saturday due to the coronavirus.
The events were called off “out of an abundance of caution for the health of our community and to eliminate unnecessary risk for the public,” according to a news release from the city of Naperville. “The city will work with the organizers to find a possible date to hold these events in the future.”
Naperville’s cancellations followed similar announcements Wednesday morning for the three parades in Chicago — the downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the South Side Irish Parade and Northwest Irish Parade ? and the annual green dyeing of the Chicago River.
St. Charles and East Dundee officials also announced their Saturday parades would be not be held.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade organized by the West Suburban Irish and the St. Paddy’s Day 5K by the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise are both traditionally held in downtown Naperville.
Naperville is discussing the possibility of rescheduling the events to a future date but must first get out the word about the cancellations, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said.
As people go out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, it is important they be aware of the recommendations from the CDC and state and local health departments, LaCloche said.
“As of right now we don’t have a confirmed case in DuPage, but we understand we’ve seen the numbers jump exponentially so, again, we’re just advising people to do the things that will keep them safe,” she said.
Those things include washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
ehegarty@tribpub.com
