Savannah cancels St. Patrick’s Day festivities again

SAVANNAH, GA (AP) — For the second straight year, the city of Savannah is canceling its traditional St. Patrick’s Day events due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WTOC-TV reports Mayor Van Johnson announced Tuesday during his first weekly update of 2021 that he spoke with health officials and city leaders before making the decision to cancel this year’s celebrations.

Johnson says he’d hoped and prayed that the city’s COVID-19 situation would improve, but behavior by residents and visitors over the holidays did not make him confident in allowing the parade to happen.

The holiday is one of the city’s most popular holiday, drawing thousands annually.