BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Summertime in Baltimore could be bleak, after an announcement from Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young.
 

“I think it’s a deathblow,” said Giovanna Blatterman, who’s been fighting to get COVID-19 restrictions lifted at restaurants. Now there’s another blow that she believes makes for a slow death for the city.
 

“The life of the city is the summertime and we’ve already shut everything else down, except the big stores,“ said Blatterman.
 

It’s Blatterman’s grief, after Mayor Young announced Wednesday the cancellation of all special events through August 31st because of coronavirus concerns.
 

Among the events canceled, the Fourth of July Celebration at the Inner Harbor and Artscape, a huge arts festival that attracts more than 300,000 people to midtown every year.
 

Stephen Walters, Ph.D. of the Maryland Public Policy Institute calls the mayor’s decision an excessive response that could hurt the city.
 

“It sends a very bad signal about the city and its receptivity to tourists. If we sever some of those ties, how will that affect us long-term?“ said Walters.
 

“The excitement this city brings in the summer with their festivals is what attracts many of our visitors,“ said Blatterman.
 

The mayor has not ruled out the possibility of rescheduling some events if conditions improve.