North Wildwood plans to go ahead with St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Update: North Wildwood officials have canceled the parade based on Gov. Phil Murphy’s recommendation to not host public events for more than 250 people. 

North Wildwood is moving ahead with its planned St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday despite the expanding cornonavirus pandemic.

In a statement released Wednesday, Mayor Patrick Rosenello said that city officials have been monitoring the outbreak across the United States but noted that Cape May County has not registered any confirmed cases of cornonavirus.

Rosenello said that he urges anyone who is sick or immunocompromised to not attend.

“Safety for our residents and visitors is paramount,” the mayor said in a statement. “I remind residents and visitors to practice good hygiene, and if you are feeling sick, seek medical attention and do not attend public events, as you will be putting others at risk.”

On Wednesday night, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the postponement of New York’s City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the largest and oldest in the country. “We believe postponing the parade is in the best interest of public health,” Cuomo posted on Twitter.

Numerous other cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston, have announced the postponement or cancelation of their parades. Parades throughout Ireland have been canceled.