Philly Coronavirus News: Super Cheap Flights, Defiant Flyers Fans, St. Patrick’s Parade Caves

Organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia have canceled the 2020 parade due to concerns over the coronavirus in Philadelphia. (Photo via Visit Philadelphia)

A roundup of Philadelphia coronavirus news.

Possible Coronavirus Cases in Philly

Seventeen Philly residents are under observation for possible coronavirus, according to the city health department. On Tuesday afternoon, city officials confirmed that one resident had tested positive for coronavirus. That person is under treatment at home. The city is working to track down anybody who might have had contact with the patient.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, there are eight cases of coronavirus in Montgomery County, two in Bucks County, one in Delaware County, one in Monroe County (think Mount Pocono), and one in Wayne County, which is a stone’s throw from Scranton.

Meanwhile, New Jersey just reported the first coronavirus death in the state.

Coronavirus = Ridiculously Cheap Flights

The airline industry is in big trouble, and that means you can grab really cheap flights out of Philadelphia right now.

Here are some sample one-way fares we found out of Philadelphia International Airport: $30 to Fort Lauderdale; $85 to San Diego; $250 to London; $285 to Tokyo (and only slightly more during the Olympics); $500 to Cape Town.

Don’t worry: the Hudson News shop at the airport is selling face masks for $8 each. They’re probably the flimsiest face masks we’ve ever seen. If we had to guess, they won’t actually stop the spread of the common cold. But just think of how cool you’ll look when you post photos of yourself wearing a face mask on an empty plane en route to South Africa.

Talk About a Quick Reversal

A lot of people had been wondering about the fate of this Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia. Many St. Patrick’s Day parades all over (including in Ireland!) were canceled. But Michael Bradley, who runs Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, said no way was he going to cancel.

More specifically, here’s part of what he had to say on Facebook earlier this week:

We are absolutely on. If you don’t want to come, watch on Fox 29. However, if you are a nervous nelly, please do not go to mass, send your kids to school, go to the grocery store or continue living. Please sit in your bedroom with a poncho on in the corner for the next two weeks.

Then came Tuesday’s press conference with the mayor (who is Irish) and health officials at City Hall. The city’s head-scratching position boiled down to this: we aren’t canceling the parade, but you should not go to it.

Well, it didn’t take but a couple of hours before Bradley reversed course, canceling the parade.

I reached out to him asking about his Facebook comments. His response was more measured:

After heartfelt consideration and serious conversation with officials from the City of Philadelphia, the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association has decided to cancel the parade and all events related to the 2020 Philadelphia Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. This decision was made with significant input from civic and parade participants. While this decision is disappointing, we acted with a general concern for the well-being of everyone. In days to come, we will continue with great enthusiasm to plan the 250th Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on March 14, 2021…

So, no parade. Unfortunately, we hear that the Erin Express is still happening in full, nauseating, frat boy force.

Flyers Fans Defiant of Coronavirus Advice

Hours after city health officials advised residents against attending any public events of 5,000 people or more, including, specifically, “large sporting events,” guess what happened? More than 15,000 turned out to watch the Flyers get beat by the Bruins. “We don’t cancel in Philly because we are Rocky tough,” one Flyers fan told Fox 29: