ROCKFORD — For the second year in a row, Rockford will not have its annual Labor Day Parade because of the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Rockford United Labor made the announcement Tuesday. The parade was scheduled for Monday, Sept. 6. But with the Winnebago County’s case positivity rate at 7.8% and the case count at 200.3 per 100,000 people, officials say it’s too risky to host the downtown event.

“Unions have a legacy of setting standards for rights on the job and workplace safety, not only for the workers they represent but for so many others,” Rockford United Labor wrote in a statement. “In this regard, the committee determined that due to the local uptick in COVID-19 cases, and increased risk of transmission of COVID variants, the responsible decision is to put the safety of our members and the community first.”

The Labor Day Parade attracts thousands of spectators.