Butte cancels St. Patrick’s Day parade amid virus concerns

BUTTE, Mont. (Independent Record) — The St. Patrick's Day parade in Butte has been canceled based on the advice of the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department.

But the state high school basketball tournaments are continuing this weekend as scheduled despite concerns about the new coronavirus.

Matthew Boyle with the Butte America Foundation said Friday that the parade had 89 entries.

Montana High School Association Director Mark Beckman says organizers consulted with the state health department before deciding to continue tournament play on Friday.

Beckman says because there are no coronavirus cases confirmed in Montana and because all the teams are from Montana, officials plan to maintain the tournaments with added hygiene precautions.