Boston has canceled its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade amid an upsurge in coronavirus cases, Mayor Marty Walsh said Monday evening.
“This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing what is needed to keep the residents of Boston safe and healthy,” Walsh said in a statement on Twitter.
“While the risk in Boston remains low, this situation is changing very quickly, and we are closely monitoring any local cases,” he continued. “Our top priority is preventing any new cases, to the best of our ability, and we are paying close attention to guidance from public health officials.”
The move comes as the U.S. death toll rose to 26 and several members of Congress placed themselves in self-quarantine after possible exposure.
Many major U.S. events were canceled over the weekend, including the 34th annual edition of South by Southwest, the music, technology and film festival in Austin, Texas.
“After careful deliberation, there was no acceptable path forward that would mitigate the risk enough to protect our community,” said Dr. Mark Escott, the city’s interim health authority and public health medical director.
Organizers of Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle and Ultra Music Festival in Miami also announced they were postponing their events.
Globally, more than 100,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus and more than 4,000 people have died in an epidemic that began in China.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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