Vaccine Mandate Coming To Philly Food, Drink Establishments

PHILADELPHIA — Only those who are vaccinated against the coronavirus will be able to dine and drink out at restaurants and bars in Philadelphia starting early 2022.

Health officials Monday announced a vaccine mandate for eating and drinking inside establishments that will go into effect on Jan. 3, 2022.

That date gives residents five weeks to get immunized.

Find a vaccine provider online here.

There is no word on when the mandate will be lifted, with Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole saying it will be lifted when case and hospitalization figures decrease.

The mandate affects these types of establishments:

• Indoor restaurant spaces.
• Cafes within larger spaces (such as museums).
• Bars.
• Sports venues that serve food or drink for on-site consumption.
• Movie theaters.
• Bowling alleys.
• Other entertainment venues that serve food or drink for on-site consumption.
• Conventions (if food is being served).
• Catering halls.
• Casinos where food and drink is allowed on the floor.
• Food court seating areas should be cordoned off and have someone checking vaccine status on entry to the seating area.

The mandate does not affect K-12 and early child care settings, hospitals, congregate care facilities, special population providers that serve food, residential or health care facilities, grocery stores, convenience stores or other establishments that primarily sell food and drink for offsite use, or in Philadelphia International Airport, except in traditional seated restaurant or seated bar-style locations.

While the mandate will go into effect Jan. 3, establishments can choose to accept proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of entry for people who are not fully vaccinated for the first two weeks of the mandate, ending on Jan. 17, 2022.

After Jan. 17, negative tests will no longer be allowed to get into food establishments.

Food and drink establishment employees and children aged 5 years and 3 months through 11 will be required to have one dose of COVID vaccine by Jan. 3 and to complete their vaccine series by Feb. 3.

As of Monday, the city has seen 182,815 cases of the coronavirus and 4,127 virus-related deaths.

The city is averaging 492 new cases over the past two weeks.

City data shows 368 people are in Philadelphia hospitals being treated for coronavirus, and 43 of whom are on ventilators.

According to the city, 945,139 people have been fully vaccinated in Philadelphia and 1.19 million have been partially vaccinated.

For residents 5 to 11 years old, 15,123 have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.