Philadelphia may rely on new metrics to guide COVID-19 mandates
PHILADELPHIA - As COVID-19 numbers continue to trend down in Philadelphia, city officials who have been hesitant to pull back restrictions may be ready to take a small step forward.
Senior Director of Operations for Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association Ben Fileccia said he expects Philadelphia officials to make an announcement Wednesday about metrics they will use to determine appropriate mandates going forward.
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.
During the height of the omicron wave of COVID-19 in early January, Philadelphia health officials reported that the percent positivity reached 38% with around 2,600 new cases a day. On Monday, the positivity percent fell below 3% with fewer than 200 new cases per day.
"With how great the numbers look right now I would really hope it's within weeks that we see some positive change," Fileccia said.
When asked for comment on possible changes to the current mandates, the Philadelphia Health Department pointed to its most recent briefing.
"I think public health experts are leery of jumping the gun," Dr. Mike Cirigliano said. "The one thing we’ve learned about the virus is that it can be unpredictable."
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