Photo of line outside Boston bar draws ire; establishments to be closed Sunday – msnNOW

By Staff 5 years ago

Photo of line outside Boston bar draws ire; establishments to be closed Sunday  msnNOW

Catholic faithfuls sit on chairs with yellow line tapes, to separate church goers from sitting close to each other, as part of social distancing at a church in Borongan town, Eastern Samar province, central Philippines on March 15, 2020. - Since the virus first emerged in late December, more than 151,700 cases have been recorded in 137 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1900 GMT on Friday based on official sources. The death toll stood at 5,764. (Photo by Alren BERONIO / AFP) (Photo by ALREN BERONIO/AFP via Getty Images)

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A photo showing a couple dozen people standing in line outside Broadway bar in South Boston on Saturday afternoon ricocheted around social media, as commenters warned Bostonians were not taking the spread of coronavirus seriously.

It was not immediately clear how crowded bars became on what would normally be a busy weekend in Boston ahead of St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday.

City Councilor Ed Flynn announced bars in South Boston, which he represents, will be closed Sunday. 

“SB bars & restaurants will be closed today as part of a voluntary agreement,” he said on Twitter. “Thank you Mayor Walsh, my fellow SB elected officials, neighbors, Licensing Board, license holders in SB for working w/ us & taking these sound proactive measures to protect the public’s health.”

Public health officials have urged Massachusetts residents to practice “social distancing” to slow down the spread of the virus, and on Friday, Governor Charlie Baker banned gatherings of more than 250 people.

But some worried the desire to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boston, with its strong Irish identity, would be too strong. 

“As an Irish-American pol from Boston of all places it pains me to say this: but please don’t go out with groups of friends to bars this St. Patrick’s Day weekend,” Matt O’Malley, a Boston City Councilor from Jamaica Plain, said on Twitter.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which had been scheduled to take place Sunday, was cancelled last week amid mounting concerns about the public health crisis.