A slew of events in Quebec and Montreal have been cancelled or postponed until further notice following new directives from the provincial government to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
Montreal’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be postponed, announced the United Irish Societies of Montreal on Thursday.
In a statement, the group said in light of COVID-19 concerns, it feels it is in the best interest of public health to postpone the event that gathers large crowds. The 197th edition of the parade was set to take place on Sunday, March 22.
In Châteauguay and Hudson, the local St. Patrick’s Day parades are also delayed until more information is available.
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Management at Place des Arts in Montreal also announced on Thursday it will cancel all of its shows and other public activities until further notice.
The move comes after the government’s call to cancel indoor events of more than 250 people as part of its expanded measures to tackle COVID-19.
Montreal’s Chamber of Commerce has also decided to suspend events until further notice. At Palais des congrès, a few dozen events that were to take place over the next few weeks are either delayed or cancelled.
— With files from the Canadian Press