Organizers have officially announced that the parade is cancelled.

Due to concern for health and public safety, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for March 15 has been cancelled. [Featured image: @stpatrickstoronto]

#Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade cancelled. #COVID19 #topoli pic.twitter.com/iyEWpaKD06

— James Ryan (@JamesJJRyan) March 12, 2020

“The parade organizers decided to cancel the festivities in light of public health concerns, and in the best interest of participants, volunteers and members of the publics,” said the statement on their website.

The World Health Organization has recommended, along with other measures such as regular hand washing and avoiding face touching, to maintain social distancing from others.

Due to the nature of the virus, St. Patrick’s Day parades have been cancelled internationally in an attempt to reduce further contamination.

After these cancellations — including massive parades in Boston and Chicago, along with festivals, leagues, and other mass events — the parade came under fire from concerned members of the public. Today, the committee officially announced that the parade would be cancelled.

“Our committee made the decision to cancel the parade in the public interest. While we are disappointed that our annual parade will not take place our belief is that public health and safety must come first,” said chairperson of the St. Patrick’s Parade Society, Shaun Ruddy.

Earlier today the NBA announced that the league would be suspended for a minimum of two weeks. There are reports that the NHL will do the same with an official announcement to be made later today.

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