Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) and the City of Dallas have conducted a thorough review of the Dallas St. Patrick’s Day Parade and block party scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2020. As a result of that review the City of Dallas Convention and Event Services is canceling the special event permits for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and block party.

“Canceling the St. Patrick’s Day parade and block party was not an easy decision, but it is the correct and responsible decision,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “While our region still has only a few ‘presumptive positive’ COVID-19 cases that appear to be related to travel, we are actively making contingency plans for the spread of this illness. Before we made the final decision, I gathered input from our healthcare leaders and our public health partners, discussed the ramifications for our police and firefighters at the parade; met with Governor Abbott; and reviewed how COVID-19 has spread in other parts of the country and the world.”

“An event of this scale, without adequate public health protections, cannot be allowed to occur at this time. Our primary concern is the health, safety, and welfare of our residents, and we will continue to take action accordingly,” Mayor Johnson added.

Additional mass public gatherings will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.