Coronavirus: 2021 Rose Parade cancelled

PASADENA, Calif. — The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the 2021 Rose Parade due to continued government restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The cancellation is the first for the parade in 75 years, according to the Los Angeles Times. Since 1891, organizers said the parade has only been cancelled three times before, each during wartime.

The Rose Parade had been scheduled for New Years Day.

Organizers said the decision was made “with reluctance and tremendous disappointment” in accordance with a re-opening schedule released by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“The health and well-being of our parade participants and guests, as well as that of our volunteer members, professional staff and partners, is our number one priority,” Bob Miller, 2021 President of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, said Wednesday in a news release.

“Obviously this is not what any of us wanted, and we held off on announcing until we were absolutely sure that safety restrictions would prevent us from continuing with planning for 132nd Rose Parade.”

Newsom last week announced the indefinite re-closure of dine-in restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and other businesses that had been allowed to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was made as coronavirus cases spiked in the state.

The California Department of Public Health has confirmed more than 346,000 COVID-19 cases statewide as of Wednesday, according to the Times. More than 7,200 people have died of the coronavirus in the state.

More than 3.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. since the pandemic began, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. leads the world with the most coronavirus cases and the highest number of deaths with 136,000 killed by the viral infection, according to Johns Hopkins.

Cox Media Group