by Alex Lloyd Gross
Aug 11 2021
Philadelphia health Officials have instituted a new mask policy when people are out . It does NOT apply to fans attending Phillies or Eagles games.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, August 12, 2021, masks will be required indoors at all Philadelphia businesses and institutions that do not require vaccination for employees and patrons. Masks will also be required in all outdoor, unseated gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
The indoor mask mandate beginning on August 12 requires that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wears a mask in all Philadelphia businesses and institutions that do not have an enforced vaccine requirement. City of Philadelphia buildings do not have a vaccine requirement, so masks are required for staff, visitors, and patrons in public areas, regardless of vaccination status.
Indoor dining will be allowed to continue in the following cases:
- In restaurants that require proof of vaccination, and
- In restaurants that do not require proof of vaccination, provided masks are worn by patrons and staff the entire time while not seated and eating or drinking.
Additionally, masks will be required at all non-seated outdoor events in the City of Philadelphia with greater than 1,000 attendees. It is unknown how this will affect the Made In America concert along the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Fans that are inside club or suite areas of sporting events will be required to wear a face mask.
For city workers, On September 1, all new City of Philadelphia employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and all current employees will be required to be fully vaccinated or be double-masked when working in enclosed workspaces with others. Unvaccinated staff will be required to wear a disposable surgical mask, which can be supplied by the City, underneath of a cloth mask. As soon as two weeks have elapsed since their final dose of COVID vaccine have passed, employees will no longer be required to be double-masked at work.
This is due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases reported in the city. Most of those people getting sick are not vaccinated. The majority of people that are not vaccinated have been against vaccinations from the start. Many do not trust the vaccine to work. Reports are coming in from across the country of anti-vaxers getting sick from COVID and getting for the vaccine. Many have made videos denouncing their previous ways of thinking, urging anyone watching to get the vaccine.