Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration Committee has agreed to postpone the 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which draws approximately 250,000 marchers and 1 to 2 million spectators to Manhattan.
“Today I had several conversations with the organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to determine whether the parade should move forward in light of the evolving coronavirus situation and increased case count in the New York City area,” Governor Cuomo said. “Following those conversations, I recommended and the parade’s leadership agreed to postpone this year’s parade due to the high density and the large volume of marchers and spectators who attend. While I know the parade organizers did not make this decision lightly, public health experts agree that one of the most effective ways to contain the spread of the virus is to limit large gatherings and close contacts, and I applaud the parade’s leadership for working cooperatively with us. While the risk to New Yorkers remains low and we want to avoid social and economic disruptions, we have an obligation to take action to contain the spread of this virus.”
Sean Lane, Parade Committee Chair of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration Committee said, “We thank Governor Cuomo for his decisive leadership in this challenging time. We look forward to celebrating the 259th St. Patrick’s Day Parade with the entire city of New York at a later date.”