Coronavirus outbreak impacts St. Patrick Day celebrations in St. Paul

The Saint Patrick's day celebration in St. Paul on Tuesday was far from normal. 

The COVID-19 outbreak kept crowds away from W. 7th Street.

Many bars and restaurants were closed and the ones that remained open only had a few people.

"It is what it is, it's an act of God," Pat Boemer, owner of Patrick McGovern's said."How do you control it? You can't. I think personally, I'm an optimist I think this thing will recover faster than most people think. I think within 10 days, two weeks we will be reopened and hopefully business will be revving up by that time."

Gov. Tim Walz ordered the temporary closure of restaurants and bars from 5 p.m. Tuesday through March 27th.