Philadelphia didn't cancel a parade during a 1918 pandemic. The results were devastating

[Shawnster]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/us/philadelphia-1918-spanish-flu-trnd/index.html

 

(CNN)The spread of the novel coronavirus has resulted in events being postponed or canceled across the country -- everything from the NBA and concerts to universities and schools has been affected.

 

It might be enough to make people wonder: Is all this necessary?

 

The answer is yes. Just look at Philadelphia in 1918, and the spread of the flu.

 

... 

Philadelphia didn't cancel its Liberty Loan Parade, scheduled for just a little more than a week later. Meant to be a patriotic wartime effort, the parade went on as scheduled on September 28, bringing 200,000 Philadelphians together.

 

By October 1, there were 635 new cases in Philadelphia, according to UPenn.

Philadelphia was one of the hardest-hit US cities. More than 12,000 people died in six weeks, with about 47,000 reported cases, according to UPenn. By the six-month mark, about 16,000 had died and there were more than half a million cases.

 

[New World Explorer]

I am glad that they cancelled Australian Grand Prix (+300.000 to attend) 

 

[GeordieGirl]

The RSL has cancelled the ANZAC day parades across the country - first time since 1942.  It draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to say nothing of the parades.