Coronavirus in Scotland: St Patrick's Day celebration in Edinburgh cancelled over outbreak concerns

The Irish Consulate has pulled the plug on one of the biggest St Patrick's Day celebrations in Edinburgh due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

Its annual party in the city, which was due to be held at the Assembly Rooms, on George Street, in the New Town, has been cancelled less than a week before it was due to be held.

Jane McCulloch, the Consul General of Ireland in Scotland, had been due to host the event at the city council-owned venue. The event had been jointly organised with Enterprise Ireland and Tourism Ireland.

However invited guests have now been told: "It is with great regret that, due to the evolving situation with the Covid-19 virus outbreak, we have decided to cancel this reception."

The Irish Consulate's St Patrick's Day celebration in Edinburgh was planned to be staged at the Assembly Rooms in the New Town.

The cancellation of the St Patrick's Day event on 17 March was confirmed after it emerged that two doctors from an Edinburgh hospital had tested positive for coronavirus after returning from Italy.

A third consultant at the private Murrayfield Hospital facility was also tested but returned a negative result. The pair are thought to be the first confirmed cases of medics in Scotland contracting the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus.

Eight positive cases of coronavirus have been recorded so far in the Lothians.

Official St Patrick's Day parades in Dublin and Belfast were cancelled this week over the coronavirus outbreak.