Philadelphia canceled all large events through February due to COVID-19 concerns, including the historic Mummers parade, which has only been canceled twice in its 102-year history, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mayor Jim Kenney made the announcement during a press conference.
"I know this news will be disappointing for many Philadelphians," Kenney said. "It was not an easy decision to make, but as we continue to battle COVID-19 and try to restore some sense of normalcy in our city, we know there will be many difficult decisions to come."
The parade, which happens on New Year's Day and features elaborate costumes, movable scenery and performance routines, was canceled in 1919 and 1934, and has been postponed 22 times.
Philadelphia officials also announced the cancelation of the Philadelphia Marathon, Broad Street Run, and the Thanksgiving Day parade.
"The bigger lesson right now is that we're going to have to live with this virus for a long time," Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. "We're going to have to have some restrictions on our actions until we deploy a vaccine.
"I know this is disappointing people, but we're certainly not going to be deploying a vaccine and be free of this virus in January."