On Wednesday, The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced new COVID Response Levels which tie the City’s public COVID mandates to specific pandemic metrics. As the metrics get better, the City will stop enforcing certain mandates. Should the metrics get worse, the City will start enforcing those mandates again. Given the improving situation following the Omicron wave, the Health Department has announced that they will not be enforcing the restaurant vaccine mandate until such a time when the disease situation worsens.
“I’m so proud of everyone who has heeded the guidance of our public health experts as we continue to navigate COVID-19,” said Mayor Jim Kenney.” We fully recognize that this virus will be with us for the foreseeable future, and we must learn to move forward together in ways that promote public health and reflect the realities of life and society. While we are not done with COVID, I am glad that we have reached a point where we know much, much more about this virus and which strategies will help us manage its spread.”
Four levels will determine guidance and the following metrics will determine which response level Philadelphia is currently at:
- Average new cases per day
- Number of hospitalizations
- Percent of tests reported as positive
- Rate of change of new chases.
The four levels are as follows:
- Extreme Caution: Proof of vaccination required for places that serve food or drink; masks required in indoor public places
- Caution: Proof of vaccination or negative test within 24 hours for places that serve food or drink; masks required in indoor public places
- Mask Precautions: No vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink; masks required in indoor public places
- All Clear: No vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink; No mask requirement (except in schools, healthcare institutions, congregate settings, and on public transportation)
To read more on the threshold for reaching these levels click here.
The city of Philadelphia is currently a level 2.
Today, we announced new COVID Response Levels which tie @PhiladelphiaGov’s public COVID mandates to specific pandemic metrics. The city’s current COVID Response Level is Level 2: Mask Precaution. (1/2)
— Philadelphia Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) February 16, 2022
