ALBANY - Mayor Kathy Sheehan says Saturday's St. Patrick's Day parade is canceled.

The mayor made the announcement as Albany County confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus, the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness.

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Ireland and many American cities canceled St. Patrick's Day activities earlier this week. As recently as Wednesday, Sheehan and Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said the parade would go forward. The celebration usually draws thousands of revelers - and their money - to the parade route.

But Sheehan said the two cases prompted her reversal.

In addition to canceling the parade, Sheehan said the city will not issue permits for mass gatherings.

The loss of the parade and the NCAA's decision to bar fans from attending the men's basketball tournament games next week - including the games slated for Thursday and Saturday the Times Union Center in downtown - were taken as body blows to the area businesses counting on the revenue from the two events.

McGeary's Pub in Albany, which normally attracts throngs of thousands over the course of the day of the St. Patrick's Day parade, expects to suffer a dramatic drop in business as result of being unable to have a large tent in front of the bar, as it has for many years to welcome revelers.

"We've already prepped for 400 meals and have 60 (beer) kegs on hand," said owner Tess Collins. "I think we'll still be busy, but without the tent I don't know how much of that we're going to need."

Collins said she had scheduled 60 people to work on Saturday but estimated she would need about half of that as a result of the parade's cancellation and the county's revocation of permits for large gatherings.

Parade day is normally by far the busiest day of the year for McGeary's, Collins said, with revenue outpacing any other day of the year by a factor of 10. That will not be the case on Saturday, she said, but McGeary's will still be welcoming patrons.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook this morning," she said. "People are saying they're still coming."