Once again Dunn Gaherins will be hosting its now traditional Newton Political St Patrick’s day breakfast this Fri March 13, 8:30 AM. We’ll be serving coffee, tea and Irish bread while having some fun with our local politicians, including Mayor Fuller, Sen. Creem, President Albright and the usual surprises, which are frequently a surprise to the hosts too. Hosted by Seana Gaherin and Jerry Reilly with Chamber President Greg Reibman and Newton City Councilor Josh Krintzman returning as master of ceremonies.
Be there or be boiled like cabbage!
… and for any of you elected officials who may be reading this. Get a jump on your colleagues and the hosts. Email me at [email protected] if you have an idea for your own contribution to this wacky event.
Not to be negative on a fun event for the city’s politically-oriented, but here is Dr. Fauci in NY Times today quoted below. If you are 70 or older and/or have pre-existing conditions, now is the time to start avoiding discretionary “closer than 6 ft distance” large group gatherings like this. We have many beloved community members in this high risk group.
“In an interview, Dr. Fauci said, “I don’t think you want to have folks shutting down cities like in northern Italy. We are not at that level. That is a hot spot. Social distancing like in Seattle is the way to go. I’m not talking about locking down anything. There’s a big difference between voluntary social distancing and locking anything down.”
If community spread is being detected now, that means it began, unseen, weeks ago. The greatest concern is for older people, particularly those who have underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung problems and weakened immunity.
“Don’t go to crowded places, think twice before a long plane trip, and for goodness sake don’t go on any cruises,” Dr. Fauci said.
For people who are particularly vulnerable, he said: “Don’t wait for community spread. Now is the time to do social distancing, whether there is spread in your community or not.””
Not to be negative on a fun event for the city’s politically-oriented, but here are some quotes from Dr. Fauci in NY Times today. If you are 70 or older and/or have pre-existing conditions, now is the time to start avoiding discretionary “closer than 6 ft distance” large group gatherings like this. We have many beloved community members in this high risk group.
“In an interview, Dr. Fauci said, “I don’t think you want to have folks shutting down cities like in northern Italy. We are not at that level. That is a hot spot. Social distancing like in Seattle is the way to go. I’m not talking about locking down anything. There’s a big difference between voluntary social distancing and locking anything down.”
If community spread is being detected now, that means it began, unseen, weeks ago. The greatest concern is for older people, particularly those who have underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung problems and weakened immunity.
“Don’t go to crowded places, think twice before a long plane trip, and for goodness sake don’t go on any cruises,” Dr. Fauci said.
For people who are particularly vulnerable, he said: “Don’t wait for community spread. Now is the time to do social distancing, whether there is spread in your community or not.””
Paul Levy got it spot on in the other thread.
Being British, I’ve noticed the Brits are doing the usual “Keep calm and carry on.” I could not disagree more. Coronavirus is coming, it’s just a matter of timing. The the more we can prolong it’s arrival the better prepared we shall be.
Putting a majority of our elected officials in an environment where they could all easily get infected and transmit does not seem like good policy to me. The risk is real – and it’s about time our policy makers find a bit of common sense, which in my opinion is not so common around here!
Predicting high likelihood this will be canceled for the reasons @Jack suggests. Awkward for government leaders to set a bad example with regard to social distancing, no?
@Paul — I’m not suggesting the event be canceled at this point. The crowd on a Friday morning will be less than a typical evening at the venue, and significant community spread hasn’t been established in Newton yet to make it generally high risk. We have to support our small businesses through this.
On the other hand, it is time for people at high risk due to age or pre-existing conditions to pull back from discretionary exposure to high risk venues and events. My family is looking for our 80yo parents and in-laws to start being very careful. As the string of nursing home deaths in Seattle is showing, this is a tough virus for the old.
This is a privately organized event and, at the moment, we are continuing as planned. Naturally we will adhere to any advice from the city and state officials as circumstances develop. And anyone who feels uncomfortable/unsafe attending shouldn’t.
@Greg – any chance we can find a way to stream it so people who are vulnerable can watch from the safety of home?
Great idea Bryan. All we need is a volunteer!
Best to avoid the handshakes and hugs that are usually part of the celebration!
Elbow bumps it is then.
or shin kicks…
My concern pales in comparison to those who wanted the Boston St. Patrick’s parade to be cancelled. See here: https://www.change.org/p/marty-walsh-stop-the-boston-st-patrick-s-day-parade-from-spreading-covid-19
Apparently the petition was successful: https://www.wcvb.com/article/2020-st-patricks-parade-in-south-boston-canceled-amid-coronavirus-fears/31298804 Quote from Mayor Walsh:
“Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, scheduled for 3/15/20, is being cancelled. This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing what is needed to keep the residents of Boston safe and healthy.”
What a nightmare, and from what I’ve read, this state of affairs may last for months. In the future, with any luck, this virus might be like the seasonal flu, causing discomfort for many, and even mortality for the most vulnerable, but manageable with vaccines. For now, though, the best we can do is slow its spread so that medical facilities don’t get overwhelmed. The average age of those who have died here so far: 80.
What size of group is too large for safety? What about high school sports or youth sports in general this spring? What lies ahead?
Elbow bumps are too riaky. Think about it. Sneeze into your elbow, rub elbow on someone else, repeat. Why not just exchange Kleenex?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-07/even-elbow-bumping-is-too-intimate-to-ward-off-coronavirus
OK, shin kicking it is then
As an added precaution we’re not telling anyone where Dunn-Gaherins is located and crossing our fingers that Julie Cohen doesn’t spill the beans.
Mum’s the word. Shin kicking is hello – and can blend into an Irish dance.
I’m planning to come – if my kids will let me leave the house.
For what it’s worth, I would strongly recommend cancelling this event. We need our leaders to remain healthy and leading the community response.
We should also be setting a good example by cancelling voluntary gatherings.
Now that we’re past the joking above, let’s get serious. @Bryan is exactly right. Set an example, folks.
We will
@Greg: Does this also mean that massive post event, St Paddy’s Parade, led by Grand Marshall Jerry Reilly along the Greenway also get cancelled?
@Jim Cote – No we wont be cancelling the parade, just shrinking it … it will just be me and my giant puppets ;-)
The parade is on, where just not allowing people to march and or watch. It will be our best yet.