St. Patrick's Day Parade in Toronto will not be happening

Public events all over the world are being cancelled as the COVID-19 outbreak picks up steam, but it seems the beloved St. Patrick's Day Parade in Toronto will go ahead regardless. 

UPDATE: The parade has been cancelled

News broke yesterday that several St. Patrick's Day parades would be cancelled in Ireland this year, including the biggest parade in the world which takes place in Dublin and attracted an estimated 500,000 people last year.

The South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade has also reportedly been cancelled over coronavirus concerns. 

But according to a spokesperson for Toronto's St. Patrick's Day Parade, this weekend's festivities are not likely to be cancelled. 

.@StPatricksTo tells me that the parade will proceed as scheduled this Sunday while they "closely monitor the situation in Ontario" and make "the health, safety and well-being of volunteers, participants and attendees" top priority. #coronavirus #Toronto #StPatricksDay

— Lisa Power (@l1sapower) March 10, 2020

"Toronto's St. Patrick's Parade will be going ahead as scheduled this Sunday, March 15 at 12 noon," the spokesperson said in an email. 

"We are, however, treating any risk to public health with the utmost caution and are closely monitoring the situation in Ontario. The health, safety and well-being of volunteers, participants and attendees is our top priority."

The St. Patrick's Day Parade will start on the corner of Queen's Park and Bloor on Sunday afternoon before heading east along Bloor Street. It'll then turn south on Yonge and venture down to Queen Street before ending at Nathan Phillips Square.

The parade will go on for about an hour and a half, and it'll result in several road closures throughout the day. 

So grab your green shirt and get ready to drink some beer — but don't forget to wash your hands first!