Photo via Flickr Creative Commons by Mark Gunn
The largest Lunar New Year parade outside Asia will not be held in 2021 due to the coronavirus.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce made that announcement about the annual San Francisco tradition Sunday.
“While we are very hopeful for positive changes in the coming year, we must deal with our current conditions and recognize that plans for everyone’s safety in the future is our most important responsibility,” the chamber said in a statement.
According to KTVU which has carried the parade live for decades, planning gets underway for the parade months in advance. Officials expressed concern that it is impossible to know the health and safety guidelines and the rate of infection this far out.
Rather than a parade, San Francisco will mark the upcoming Year of the Ox by erecting statues of the Ox throughout the city. There will also be colorful floats on display.
“Like an ox, with fortitude and hard work, together we will build a bright and resilient 2021,” the chamber said.
The parade attracts hundreds of thousands of people. In some years, crowd estimates have been as high as 750,000 people.
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