Get over it: Cancel your St. Patrick’s Day plans to protect others from coronavirus
The guidance on how to react to coronavirus is becoming very clear. But some people just aren’t getting it.
On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump urged Americans to limit social gatherings to 10 people. Some states and cities have essentially ordered bars to close and limited restaurants to offering drive-through or pick-up service.
Texas hasn’t taken statewide action. Late Monday, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price announced restrictions on maximum-allowed crowds to 125 but didn’t order any direct closures. In Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson and County Judge Clay Jenkins were much tougher, ordering bars, restaurants and gyms to close.
We’ve advised leaders to be cautious about sparking panic and to be judicious about recommendations to the public. Tarrant County leaders and state officials, led by Gov. Greg Abbott, have largely followed that model. But Fort Worth’s order Monday seems insufficient, given the new federal guidance. It’s clearer that the more top officials learn from health experts, the more alarmed they are at the virus’ spread, particularly as testing expands.
It would have been better to order more restrictions now and loosen them later. While that would endanger more businesses, it might save lives and do much more to slow the virus’ spread.
In lieu of that, personal responsibility is key. Too many people seem willing to go on with life as usual, especially with a big public-gathering holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, on tap for Tuesday.
If your only consideration is whether you personally might get sick, or worse, how sick you might get, your radar is off. Even if you never have so much as a sniffle, you might spread the virus, especially to the vulnerable. The point of avoiding contact with others is to limit the spread, period.
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No one wants to see our favorite restaurants and bars struggle or close. Servers, bartenders and other staffers will suffer greatly under these measures. Some are trying to rearrange furniture to space people apart. Drive-through services around the city appeared to be busier than usual Monday afternoon, an encouraging sign that people are adapting. Right now, that might not be good enough.
For those who think they just can’t let a St. Patrick’s Day go by without knocking back a Jameson or a Guinness in a bar, consider where pubs are already closed for the holiday: Ireland. In Arlington, J. Gilligan’s postponed its popular holiday event, which usually draws a massive crowd.
Part of the trouble here is uncertainty about exactly how the virus can be transmitted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s not entirely understood yet, though respiratory droplets are the prime factor. “Community transmission,” meaning that the virus can spread in an area without someone knowing exactly how they got it, appears to be taking hold in several areas, too. That’s a trigger point public officials fear.
So, even if most restaurant and bar workers are being judicious about handwashing and other hygiene measures, it’s simply too risky to be around crowds of people.
This isn’t a time to be selfish. If we act responsibly and set an example for others, next year, the St. Patrick’s Day parties and spring festivals can be an epic celebration of lives saved and lessons learned.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 6:46 PM.