“It was as if we were being mocked on his show,” said council member Allan Domb, “which hurts my pride and the pride of everyone in this city.” Philadelphia has been at the center of Colbert’s joke because it is the only major U.S. city to reintroduce its indoor coverage requirement in response to rising COVID rates. However, his stick was really very gentle. “Because he’s Philly, people can choose between surgical masks, KN95 or full Gritty heads,” he said during his monologue on Tuesday night. Domb’s other concern was the number of calls he received from residents and businesses protesting the return of the mask order, which was scheduled for this Monday. “What is going to happen, and what worries me, is that this is going to be a major setback for our people and our economy,” he said during a hearing on the health ministry budget before the council on Wednesday. “Just think of the weddings scheduled for May, June and July, which will probably have to be moved.” Domb noted that a 50% increase in cases, one of the data points that prompted the city to repeat the mask order, makes less sense if there are fewer cases, and asked if the Philadelphia Department of Public Health would reconsider the order. . The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab said the mask is probably not needed right now, and Anthony Fauci, the president’s adviser on COVID, said people could make their own decisions about the protection they need, though they may need it. mask again finally. Domb suggested a strong recommendation. »READ MORE: Philadelphia is the first major US city to re-enact indoor mask rules as COVID rates rise Bettigole dismissed the idea. Recommendations are simply not as effective as orders, he said. The renewed mask order, which requires face coverage in all city businesses, offices and indoor public spaces that do not require proof of vaccination, immediately drew criticism from companies worried they would lose to suburban rivals. Council member Cherelle Parker said during the hearing, which was held largely because of COVID precautions, that a large Center City employer complained that a reversal of the mandate would discourage employees from returning to the office. “We have to be accountable to the business community,” Parker said. Bettigole reiterated that companies were consulted in February on data reporting criteria – and when used to justify the end of vaccine orders in February and cover-up orders in March, the companies applauded. “This came at the request of the business community for something transparent and predictable,” he said. Next week will be the first time the system, which examines data on case numbers, growth rates and hospitalizations, will increase safety precautions, and the health commissioner has acknowledged that the coming weeks will test its value. . “The measurements we have have not been determined and we intend to review them as soon as we take a look at what is really happening with the hospitals,” he said. “We will learn quickly one way or another.” The mask requirement has returned as a way to prevent more serious consequences, Bettigole said. He noted that when the micron burned in Philadelphia this winter, it resulted in 750 deaths in three months in a relatively well-vaccinated city. The BA.2 subvariable could be 30% to 60% more contagious than omicron, he said. The course of the BA.2 variant in Europe made an impression on the health department, Bettigole said, but offered hope. The increase in cases there lasted less than a month. “We really hope this is short,” he said. The signs so far, however, are not good, Bettigole said. “Our hospitalizations today are higher than yesterday and yesterday were higher than the day before,” he said. “Things seem to be starting to happen.” Cases continue to rise as well. The seven-day average is now 166, he said, since the order was announced earlier this week. »READ MORE: What you need to know about Philly’s latest mask command Health experts have said that the most effective intervention to stop the COVID outbreak is vaccination. But with few new users, Bettigole said, the city is closing vaccination clinics and redirecting its efforts to work with schools to vaccinate more children. Just over a third of the city’s children aged 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, a number that has not moved much in more than a month. Although Domb did not mention it, Colbert’s monologue also pointed out that Philadelphia should not be overwhelmed by the reintroduction of a rule that was in force until very recently. “The mandate is only a month away,” Colbert said of the one-week grace period before the mandate went into effect. “How much re-learning is there to do? It’s not like every Christmas I go to, “Why is there a tree in our house?”
