Philadelphia mandates: City to announce 'adjustments' to COVID-19 mitigation measures Wednesday
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials will announce changes to COVID-19 mitigation during their weekly coronavirus response briefing on Wednesday, according to Mayor Jim Kenney.
The changes would come as health officials and Mayor Jim Kenney say case counts and positivity rates have continued to fall in Philadelphia.
At the peak of the omicron surge, around Jan. 3, Philadelphia was reporting 38% positivity rates and approximately 2,600 daily cases.
On Monday, the city reported a positivity rate of less than 3% and around 200 daily cases in recent weeks.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday that he believes masks have helped keep people safe during the pandemic.
"There will be some adjustments tomorrow," Kenney said Tuesday morning after attending a groundbreaking for a local playground.
When asked if the time had come for the city’s mask mandates to end, Kenney credited the wearing of masks as playing an important role in the drop in case counts.
"It only happened because of this discipline," Kenney said point to his 76ers themed facemask.
Senior Director of Operations for Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association Ben Fileccia told FOX 29 on Monday that he expected Philadelphia officials to make an announcement Wednesday about metrics they will use to determine appropriate mandates going forward.
On Tuesday, Kenney revealed that the city would be announcing some ‘numbers and data points’ in reference to possibly easing some restrictions on Wednesday.
The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday night reported that the city could end its vaccine requirement to dine indoors as early as this week, and the indoor mask mandate may lift soon after.
Several states across the country have announced an end to universal mask mandates over the last several weeks, including nearby Delaware. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy set a deadline for masks-wearing in public schools.
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