COVID-19: Seven cases in Quebec

There are now seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quebec.

CTV asks whether the St Patrick’s parade will be cancelled. The parade is on its 197th installment, but I wonder whether in all that time it was ever unofficially paused for influenza or smallpox epidemics, or war. For most of its existence it wasn’t the goofy extravaganza it is now: my mother told me how her father would put on his best clothes and simply walk with the other men from St Gabriel’s, and men from other Irish Catholic parishes would also walk. There might have been banners to identify parish groups, Knights of Columbus or Ancient Order of Hibernians groups, but there weren’t floats and media or commercial entities. I don’t think there was even a marching band, although I might look that up.

(Note to CTV: It’s not a “right of spring” sweeties, it’s a “rite of spring”.)

Ste-Justine has asked its workers not to travel abroad. A private high school has suspended classes while a student is tested.

Jonathan Montpetit’s analysis of the CAQ budget suggests they handwaved the potential impact of the virus on the economy. Justin Trudeau is set to announce mitigations for the impact later Wednesday.