Many Richmond Row bars to close for St. Patrick's Day to curb COVID-19

Many bars and restaurants on London's Richmond Row have decided to voluntarily close for St. Patrick's Day, opting against serving customers on what is typically one of their busiest nights to limit the local spread of COVID-19.

Mike Smith, owner of Joe Kools, Toboggan Brewing, Fellini Koolini's and the Runt Club pub, said all four will close for St. Patrick's Day and will re-open on Wednesday, but with restrictions on the number of patrons and limited opening hours. 

"It's a tough decision because it's our busiest day of the year usually," said Smith. "That's a day when we might have too many people at once and they come into contact. St. Patrick's Day could get a little busy, so it's better just to close it."

Smith said where possible, his businesses will focus on home delivery, catering and outside pickup. 

Two other Richmond Row institutions — Ceeps and Barney's — will also close for St. Patrick's. 

"In the interest of everybody's safety, we're going to let that green beer marinate a little bit," said a message on the Ceep's Twitter page. 

Staff at Barking Frog said they will pause operations until further notice to protect staff and patrons.

While Molly Bloom's was set to stay open with precautions in place, the bar announced via Facebook Monday evening that it will also be closed for Tuesday's festivities.

Dr. Chris Mackie, the Middlesex-London Health Unit's Medical Officer of Health and CEO also announced Monday he is strongly recommending that all bars, dine-in restaurants, nightclubs and theatres close as soon as possible, and remain closed for at least the next two weeks. 

"Our community is at a critical phase in its response to COVID-19, when any steps to reduce social contact have the potential to help stem the spread of the virus," Mackie said. 

The moves come on the same day that Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer, recommended all bars and restaurants close, except those that can do takeout and delivery. He's also recommending against allowing gatherings of 50 or more people.

The restrictions come as cases of coronavirus increase daily and governments across the globe announce new restrictions on travel and any activity that brings crowds of people together in close contact. 

Mayor implores people to hold back on gathering

Shortly after the health unit's announcement on Monday evening, Mayor Ed Holder, who's in self-isolation after a recent visit to the U. S., along with Deputy Mayor Jesse Helmer issued a statement pleading Londoners to refrain from gathering for Tuesday's festivities. 

"Throughout the rise of COVID-19, our community has been well-served by our emergency response teams and health care workers who are already being challenged to provide care to those in the highest need in our community," Holder and Helmer said in the statement. 

"With additional efforts to assess and respond to a rapidly changing COVID-19 risk, it is not only irresponsible to create additional demand and divert resources, but it increases the risk to those people who are providing critical care for our community," they added.