KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — The city of Gatlinburg has cancelled this year's New Year's Eve fireworks celebration.
In a statement, the city said it cancelling the fireworks due to COVID-19 and a desire to adhere to Governor Lee's recent appeals to Tennesseans.
The city's statement reads in full:
Gatlinburg has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration.
While the city welcomes its visitors to celebrate the holidays in the Great Smoky Mountains, the wellbeing of our community and visitors is always our top priority.
We take very seriously Governor Lee’s appeal to Tennesseans to remain vigilant over the holiday season, including avoiding large public gatherings, as the spread of COVID-19 continues throughout the state.
Instead, we urge our residents and guests to ring in the new year with family and take advantage of the many opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors while in Gatlinburg.
We look forward to continuing our many treasured traditions, like the annual New Year’s celebration, when it is safer to do so.
The city's decision comes as East Tennessee continues to see deadly spikes of COVID-19 across counties, and the state reports over 6,000 new cases of the virus.