Philly Mask Mandate Returns Next Week As COVID Rises

PHILADELPHIA — As coronavirus cases rise in Philadelphia, health officials said the city's indoor mask mandate will be reinstated next week.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole Monday said the city will shift to the "mask precautions" tier of its new coronavirus response system on Monday, April 18.

Under the "mask precautions" tier, vaccine requirements are waved under this tier, but masks are required for indoor public spaces.

She encouraged businesses in the city to break out signage regarding mask requirements once again and to discuss the mandate's reinstatement with employees ahead of its return.

"I'm also asking each of you, the residents of Philadelphia, to dig out your masks again," she said. "Make sure you have them when you leave the house and start getting back into the habit of wearing them when you're indoors in public places."

Bettigole said the city is giving residents and businesses a week to prepare for the reinstated mask mandate, and that inspectors will begin enforcing the mandate on April 18.

However, Bettigole said in the week leading up to the mandate's return, residents should be vigilant in staying home if sick and get tested, get vaccinated, and wear masks when indoors in public.

Ben Fileccia, Senior Director of Operations of Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, issued a statement on the mandate's return, saying restaurants and their workers will likely face backlash in enforcing the mandate as they have in the past.

"We are extremely disappointed to hear that the city plans to mandate that masks be required when dining indoors without any input from the mitigated community," he said. "Restaurant workers have suffered severe backlash when enforcing these rules in the past and, unfortunately, this time will be no different."

Fileccia called the city's decision a major blow to the industry, which he said has worked hard to keep workers and guests safe throughout the pandemic.

In announcing the mandate's return, Bettigole said the city is averaging 142 new cases daily, and Monday's case count was more than double the case count reported 10 days ago.

In the last two weeks, 4.5 percent of tests in Philadelphia have come back positive

The new BA.2 subvariant is estimated to be responsible for anywhere from 61 to 73 percent of new cases in the wider region, according to the recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bettigole said the data is unclear if the new wave is being caused by the subvariant.

While cases are rising now, hospitalizations remain low, with just 46 patients being treated in Philadelphia's hospitals.

"I suspect that this wave will be smaller than the one we saw in January," she said. "But if we wait to put our masks back on, we'll have lost our chance to stop the wave."

Bettigole said the mandate's return is no cause to panic or avoid activities residents enjoy.

This "mask precautions" tier — which is the second-least restrictive of the tiers — is declared when three of the following are true:

• Average new cases per day is less than 225 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC's "high" and "substantial" levels of transmission).
• Hospitalizations are under 100.
• Percent positivity is under 5 percent.
• Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

Below are the other tiers in order of least to most restrictive:

All Clear

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

• Average new cases per day is less than 100 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC's "substantial" and "moderate" levels of transmission).
• Hospitalizations are under 50.
• Percent positivity is under 2 percent.
• Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

Under the "all clear" tier, there is no vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink and no mask requirement except in schools, healthcare institutions, congregate settings, and on public transportation.

No mandates will be enforced when the "all clear" tier is reached.

Caution

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

• Average new cases per day is less than 500.
• Hospitalizations are under 500.
• Percent positivity is under 10 percent.
• Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

In the "caution" tier, proof of full vaccination or a negative test results from a lab or administered onsite is required to eat indoors in addition to indoor masking.

Extreme Caution

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

• Average new cases per day is 500 or more.
• Hospitalizations are 500 or more.
• Percent positivity is 10 percent or more.
• Cases have risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days

"Extreme caution" means only proof of full vaccination is accepted to eat and drink indoors; negative test results will not be sufficient to do so. Masking will be required indoors, as well.

"Philadelphia’s COVID-19 response levels allow us to be clear, transparent and predictable in our response to local COVID-19 conditions," said Mayor Jim Kenney. "Given the recent rise in cases, we are moving to Level 2 in hopes of preventing higher case rates and stricter measures. Our city remains open; we can still go about our daily lives and visit the people and places we love while masking in indoor public spaces. I’m optimistic that this step will help us control the case rate."

Thus far during the pandemic, 278,407 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 5,007 have succumbed to the virus.

The total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians is at least 1,057,086, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine is at least 1,277,057.

Currently, 76.9 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 94.7 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

35.7 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in Philadelphia have received at least one vaccine dose.

Among eligible Philadelphians ages 12 and older, 76 percent are fully vaccinated, and 93.6 percent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.