Tacoma 'postpones' city's 4th of July celebration and fireworks show

TACOMA, Wash. -- The city of Tacoma said Monday that the "Fourth of July T-Town Family 4th celebration" would be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“As much as we were looking forward to this fun family event, we must remain vigilant and focused on the safety and well-being of our community and take measures to reduce the spread of this pandemic,” said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. “I look forward to a time we can come together as a community again and celebrate.”

The city and Festivals, Inc. which was planning this year's event, said a community-wide event may be planned for later in the summer if social distancing mandates are lifted.

Large events in Pierce County have been banned since mid-March.

“Postponing the event is the right thing to do in the interest of public health,” said Tim Reid, president of the Board of Park Commissioners. “We will continue to monitor the situation and hope for an opportunity to host a community-wide event in a few months. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding.”

It's expected that other Fourth of July celebrations will be canceled in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

There have been more than 16,000 confirmed cases in Washington state and more than 900 deaths.

Bellevue announced it was canceling its Downtown Fourth of July Celebration.

“Safety is paramount, especially now as we try to bounce back from this pandemic,” said Bellevue Downtown Association President Patrick Bannon.