Naperville St. Pat's Day Parade Canceled Amid Coronavirus Fears

NAPERVILLE, IL — The Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade and 5 K have been canceled amid ongoing fears over coronavirus. The cancellation comes after Chicago postponed its parade and river dyeing as well as the South Side Irish parade.

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In a statement, Naperville city officials said the decision to cancel the 2020 West Suburban Irish Parade Saturday was made "out of an abundance of caution" and a desire to " to eliminate unnecessary risk for the public." They added that the city hopes to work with organizers to find dates to hold both events in the future.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-Cov-2, emerged in China in late 2019 and is related to other strains that have caused serious illnesses in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, some of these preventive measures include:

• Staying home when ill
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
• Avoiding touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding close contact with sick people
• Cleaning surfaces and objects that are touched frequently

If you feel sick and worry you may have been exposed to coronavirus, you can contact the Coronavirus Disease Hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or your health care provider unless you are experiencing an urgent, serious medical emergency.

Don't miss updates about precautions in the Chicago area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

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Do you think Naperville made the right choice in canceling the parade? Let us know in the comments.