On a night that would ordinarily be a busy one for Bethlehem area restaurants and pubs, downtown Bethlehem was eerily silent on St. Patrick’s Day. A stroll along Main Street revealed many announcements on the doors of businesses due to, at that time, the recommended closures of non- essential businesses because of the coronavirus health threat.

Some signs indicated the reason for the closures while others promoted Internet or phone sales that could then be gathered via takeout or possibly by delivery.

At McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar, one of the busiest nights of the year was a quiet one. There was no Irish music floating out on the street or crowds waiting to enter to celebrate. Instead, assistant general manager Ivan Alicea said bare bones staff were handling take-out orders.

“We had a good push in the afternoon and orders have increased over the dinner hour,” Alicea said. “We’re doing what we can to get the employees some hours and if the orders keep coming in it’s a good sign that the community is out to support us.”

Further down Main Street, nearby residents Stephen and Lindsay O’Brien were celebrating their second wedding anniversary by taking a walk and buying ice cream at the Hotel Bethlehem Ice Cream Parlor. It was takeaway only because of COVID-19, and when the O’Briens left, employee Christine Neu began wiping down the counter with disinfectant. She said she does that after each customer.

As a sign of the current times, vehicular traffic on Main Street was sparse and pedestrians even rarer.