PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia officials say the outdoor portion of the Mummers parade is being postponed to Jan. 2 due to forecast rain. The indoor portion of the performances, which take place in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will go on as planned.
The Mummers did not march in 2021 after the city banned all large-scale events as part of its coronavirus mitigation efforts — there was a much smaller and widely criticized “protest parade” that year — so this year’s event was supposed to be their big comeback, much to the chagrin of some residents concerned about the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.
Early research outside the United States suggests vaccinated people who contract the omicron variant generally experience milder symptoms. But experts have said area hospitals will likely not feel the full impact of holiday gatherings until the middle of January, as hospitalizations often lag.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the virus’s impact building up for more than a month, the city planned to move forward with the parade as recently as Thursday until the rain forecast.
Philly’s neighbor, New York City is hosting its Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop. Event organizers there said they’ll be limiting crowds, requiring masks, and attendees will have to show proof of vaccination.
In contrast, Philadelphia was requiring masks along the parade route and the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Some individual clubs were recommending members get vaccinated, if they weren’t already, and get a negative coronavirus test before the performance.
