Philly Is Reinstating The Indoor Mask Mandate Starting April 18th, Becoming the First Major City To Do So.
We’ve heard about the meeting today regarding the mask mandate and looks like city officials are going reverting back to Level 2:Mask Precautions stage of its four-tiered COVID-19 response system and will reimpose the mask mandate on April 18.
The city says stated that they are seeing 142 new cases per day, which which is more than 50% higher than 10 days ago, Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said.
According to CBS Philly, The Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association says it’s “extremely disappointed” with the city’s decision to reinstate the indoor mask mandate. It claims the city did so without “any input from the mitigated community.”
In a statement, the PRLA said:
“Restaurant workers have suffered severe backlash when enforcing these rules in the past and, unfortunately, this time will be no different. Philadelphia restaurants have done all they can to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 — from hosting vaccine clinics to sponsoring coronavirus test giveaways — while working to keep business in the city. It’s deflating to hear that the city plans to bring back the mask mandate, especially without having conversations with anyone from the industry about timing and approach.”
“Restaurants, caterers, event venues, and so many others in the hospitality industry have taken extreme caution to keep their guests and employees safe throughout the pandemic. These last few weeks have been no different. Similarly, Philadelphians and visitors have been confident enough in their decision-making to know when they should wear masks and when they do not. This announcement is a major blow to thousands of small businesses and other operators in the city who were hoping this spring would be the start of recovery. While the rest of the Commonwealth has moved forward navigating life with COVID, Philadelphia has stepped back by imposing another mandate and expecting it to be enforced by businesses and their employees.” Philadelphia is the first major U.S. city to reimpose an indoor mask mandate.
