The number of people in Philadelphia who have tested positive for COVID-19 has been steadily increasing over the last few weeks, according to city health officials. As a result, the Philadelphia Health Department recommends that people start wearing masks when in indoor public settings to help lower the chance of catching the virus. The advice comes after previous cautions to prepare for a new coronavirus outbreak in Philadelphia.
“The Health Department has been warning that, based on what we’ve seen in Europe, we could see another COVID-19 wave sooner rather than later,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole. “As we see more cases of COVID-19 in the city, everyone’s risk goes up. That means that now is the time to start taking precautions. It’s not required yet, but Philadelphians should strongly consider wearing a mask while in public indoor spaces. Make sure you have a supply of masks and home tests ready in case you need them. And if you haven’t gotten up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccine, there’s still time to do that and help protect yourself and your community today.”
Philadelphia remains at the All Clear Response Level, according to the city’s COVID-19 Response Level metrics. It means that there are no vaccination requirements for establishments that sell food or beverages. Indoor public areas do not require masks. Except for Head Start programs, masks are not required in schools.
Masks are still required in healthcare, congregate living, and on transit. Businesses and other institutions are encouraged to be stricter than the City’s COVID-19 Response Levels, so some businesses may require proof of vaccination or that everyone wears a mask.
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Weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
The Philadelphia Health Department will now be reporting updated COVID-19 vaccine administration counts and percentages every Monday viaTwitterand on the City’sCOVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
The number of people receiving vaccine doses has slowed across the country and Philadelphia is not an exception. Because the percentages of different categories of Philadelphians don’t change much from day to day, reporting will be done weekly. The Health Department may resume daily vaccine administration reporting if the rate of immunizations picks up again.
Over three-quarters of Philadelphia adults are completely vaccinated, with 95 out of 100 persons receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
All Philadelphia residents aged five and up are eligible to be vaccinated, according to the city.
COVID-19-related illnesses have claimed the lives of 5,000 Philadelphia residents
The 5,000th fatality from the COVID-19 pandemic was recorded by the Health Department at the end of March. Philly Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his sorrow for the deaths of colleagues, coworkers, neighbors, and loved ones in Philadelphia as a result of the coronavirus.
“While we know much more about how to manage and treat COVID-19 compared to two years ago, it is still a serious illness that continues to take lives,” stated Mayor Kenney. “We must continue to protect ourselves and each other by getting vaccinated, testing if we don’t feel well, and taking care to protect the vulnerable people in our communities.”
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