With COVID-19 cases rising slowly, Philadelphia is reinstating its mandate of indoor masks for public spaces, schools and day care centers. Philadelphia announced Monday that, on April 18, the masks must be worn indoors again, unless the condition of the vaccine is checked. “In simple terms, this means we are reinstating the mask in Philadelphia,” Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said in an afternoon news conference. Philadelphia ordered the mask to move with the daily number of cases and hospitalizations exceeding its own benchmarks in recent days. There have been an average of 142 new cases in Philadelphia in recent days and 46 people are currently being treated for COVID-19. The Philadelphia School District had already planned to require masks as students return from the April 18 spring break. This new mandate means that all schools and kindergartens in the city must also follow suit. The move means the city has not even had two months without indoor coverage requirements. The city had given “everything clear” and withdrew its previous order for a mask on March 2. This story is being developed and will be updated.
