PHOTO BY DAVE COLE

Organizers of Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade said yesterday the show would go on unless city or county officials ordered it to be canceled.

Today, those officials did.

As precautions increase across the globe to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus, Pittsburgh city officials decided to cancel this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which typically draws hundreds of thousands of people Downtown.

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

Numerous other major cities across the world, including Dublin, have already canceled their parades.

In its statement, the city pointed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations advising against mass gatherings and encouraging the practice of “social distancing,” which means maintaining a distance of about 6 feet from other people, even those with no identifiable risk. 

“Allegheny County has not recorded any cases of the virus. It is our hope that this mitigation step will aid in containing and reducing the spread of the deadly virus,” the statement said.

The city’s statement also said they will work with parade organizers to discuss “alternative options to celebrate Pittsburgh’s Irish Community in the future.”

For more information on COVID-19, go to www.alleghenycounty.us/coronavirus.