Stop the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade from spreading COVID-19

Stop the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade from spreading COVID-19

Started
March 10, 2020
Signatures: 847Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by End Coronavirus Dot Org

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has stated he does not plan to cancel the St Patrick's Day Parade, slated to take place less than 7 days from now. The parade typically has about 150,000 people marching, and around 2 million spectators, according to its website. This is an insane, unacceptable risk for spreading COVID-19.

During the 1918 Spanish Flu, the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century, Philadelphia also held a parade. “In the streets of downtown Philadelphia 200,000 people gathered to celebrate an impending allied victory in World War I. Within a week of the rally an estimated 45,000 Philadelphians were afflicted with influenza.” The organizers of the parade downplayed the risk, claiming that they would be fine with “a campaign against coughing, spitting, and sneezing” but it was not enough. This sounds like NYC’s current plan of asking parade attendees to check “with your local health officials, government, and where appropriate, your personal physician for guidance.” 

There are already 173 confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York State (most centering around the Metropolitan area, and 36 in New York City itself), in addition to many which may remain undetected due to inadequate testing. Visitors from out of state will add potential cases to the mix. Without emergency measures, COVID-19 will spread like wildfire. 

Dublin, San Francisco and Boston have all canceled their St. Patrick's Day Parades. The New York International Auto Show has been delayed, and the NYC Half Marathon has been canceled. NYU and Columbia have moved classes online. We need Mayor de Blasio to follow their lead and cancel the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, to protect the health of the people of New York City, the people of New York State, and ultimately, the people of the world.

We call upon Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the Board of Directors of St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Inc., to realize the potential risk to the parade’s participants, the city, and the state of New York, and to ask for the parade to be canceled or postponed.

 

Please sign this petition, and please call Mayor de Blasio at 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) and Governor Cuomo at 1-518-474-8390 to let them know that you want the Parade canceled.

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Signatures: 847Next Goal: 1,000
Support now
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