Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade Canceled

PITTSBURGH, PA - Pittsburgh on Wednesday joined a growing number of cities that are canceling its St. Patrick's Day Parade over concerns over the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

“The health of our residents and visitors to our city must be our main priority,” Mayor Bill Peduo said. “This mitigation measure will help keep people in Pittsburgh and Western Pa. safe.”

The city is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to avoid mass
gatherings and observe “social distancing.”

As of Wednesday morning, there have been 14 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Pennsylvania. None have been from Allegheny County.

City officials said they hope the cancellation will aid in containing and reducing the spread of the virus.

The parade was expected to have more than 22,000 participants and attract as many as 250,000 spectators. In canceling the event, Pittsburgh has joined cities around the world such as Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dublin.