A few hours after the City of Tampa officially snuffed out its upcoming Fourth of July fireworks show, the St. Petersburg also announced it will go dark.
In a Wednesday afternoon tweet, the City of St. Pete stated that it has canceled its upcoming fireworks celebration out of concerns over large crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.
“In an effort to take preventative measures against COVID-19 by avoiding large gatherings, this year's July 4th fireworks display has been cancelled,” said the tweet. “We appreciate your patience as we prioritize the public health, safety and well-being of our city's residents and visitors.”
Mayor Rick Kriseman echoed these sentiments, saying “safety is the priority.”
“Our entire waterfront parks system gets overwhelmed on July 4th,” tweeted Kriseman. “We'll take a break from that this year. Public health and safety is the priority.”
This morning, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also squashed her signature Boom By The Bay celebration. In a Wednesday press release, the city blamed the cancellation on the recent spike in new COVID-19 cases within the City of Tampa.
“While we would have loved to celebrate the 4th of July together in person, we have to put the safety of our community first,” Mayor Jane Castor wrote. “We are looking forward to an even bigger celebration next year once this virus is behind us, but we have to work together first to stop it.”
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