ST. LOUIS — St. Louis has postponed the downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade and run that was planned for this weekend due to coronavirus concerns.
Mayor Lyda Krewson announced the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee's decision on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.
“I know that postponing large and popular events can be disappointing, but protecting the public's health and safety is paramount as COVID-19 continues to spread. We can't take any chances,” she wrote.
Mayor Krewson also said she appreciated the organizers of the parade for consulting with the city’s health department in reaching their decision.
Event organizers released a statement explaining why they made the decision, how tough it was for them to make and when the parade and run might take place instead.
"With a heavy heart, amidst growing concerns about the spread of Coronavirus, our Committee has reluctantly decided we must POSTPONE our events. There will be no Run and no Parade downtown on March 14, 2020. We do look to reschedule these events, and the private parties that accompany our weekend, likely as part of our September Half-Way-To-St. Pat’s celebration. We make this decision based upon the best information currently available, and we know that St. Louis will support us in this.
"The Committee does not take lightly our decision to postpone these events, as we are sure to disappoint many people and we incur significant financial obligations in doing so. We apologize to our loyal participants and supporters, and we look forward to rescheduling the celebration soon!"
The parade was set to take place on Saturday.
The downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade isn't the only one changing over coronavirus concerns. Organizers behind Cottleville's popular Shamrock Run & Parade decided to cancel this year's events altogether.
And late Wednesday, organizers behind Dogtown's St. Patrick's Day events also decided to postpone the parade and Irish festival.