The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Chicago has been canceled due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Parade organizers made the announcement on the event's website on Wednesday.

The parade was scheduled to take place this Saturday.

Chicago's St. Patrick's Day celebration is one of the largest in the world, attracting thousands of visitors every year.

In addition, the Chicago Plumbers Local 130 Union have said that they will not dye the Chicago River green on Saturday, a tradition that dates back almost 60 years.

The announcement comes a day after Ireland announced that it was canceling all St. Patricks' Day parades amid the virus outbreak.