EAST LANSING, Mich. — COVID-19 canceled St. Patrick’s Day in East Lansing last March. This year some Michigan State University students were trying to celebrate while staying safe.
“All the bars are really busy, but they are all using an app where it’s reservations only, so they’re keeping it at a certain capacity point,” said MSU student Bridget Owens.
East Lansing mayor Aaron Stephens says the city is doing its best to enforce and follow COVID-19 protocols.
“There’s a lot of people wearing masks around. Generally the bars and places aren’t too crowded," Stephens said. "As we move into the neighborhoods, I think you’re starting to see more of the small gatherings.”
For Ingham County health experts, large gatherings are a cause for concern. There were 277 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ingham County on Tuesday. The majority of them were people in the 20-to-29 year old age range.
Colt Wurm says he was worried about St. Patrick’s Day in East Lansing given the city’s track record throughout the pandemic.
“I know how things can get over here," Wurm said, referring to last summer's outbreak linked to Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub, which infected nearly 200 people.
Stephens says he is aware of the risk of allowing St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
“There’s certainly still the potential for the spread of COVID within our community today, but we’ve taken the necessary precautions and our businesses are under the right guidelines and restrictions to make sure that we can mitigate the spread as much as we can,” he said.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
