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The St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City.

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade has been postponed amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

“While I know the parade organizers did not make this decision lightly, public health experts agree that one of the most effective ways to contain the spread of the virus is to limit large gatherings and close contacts,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York over the weekend as the number of confirmed cases in the state skyrocketed following increased testing.

On Wednesday evening, after the World Health Organization officially classified the novel coronavirus as a pandemic, President Donald Trump announced that the US will ban all travel from Europe by non-US citizens.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be postponed for the first time in over 250 years as the US grapples with a global outbreak of the novel coronavirus.