What is Philadelphia “Safer at Home” COVID-19 Restrictions

In response to rising COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia, the City and Department of Public Health have announced changes to restrictions on businesses, events, and gatherings, and other activities to help flatten the epidemic curve, prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, and reduce the number of COVID-19 deaths.

Philadelphia Businesses and Activities Prohibited

• High schools and colleges must move to online instruction only, with the exception of clinical instruction for students in health sciences.
• Indoor dining at restaurants and other foodservice businesses.
• Theaters, including movie theaters, and other performance spaces.
• Bowling alleys, arcades, and game spaces.
• Museums.
• Libraries.
• Casinos.
• Recreational activities and sports for youth, community groups, and schools.
• Gyms and indoor exercise classes. (Exercise groups and classes may continue outdoors.)
• Senior day services (senior centers and adult day care centers) remain closed.

Philadelphia Business and Event Capacity Limits

Additional changes to capacity limits and other precautions will be instituted for businesses and activities that are able to continue:

• Restaurants offering outdoor dining must reduce table sizes to four people. Guidance will make it clear that groups dining outdoors should be household members only because mixing different households promotes community-wide spread.
• Retail stores and indoor malls may continue to operate, but with a maximum density of 5 people per 1,000 square feet. The City will require these stores to enforce mask use and distancing of customers and staff.
• Offices are permitted to have only employees that cannot work remotely.
• Barbershops, beauty salons, and similar personal services may continue to operate, but all staff and customers must wear masks at all times. These businesses cannot work on the face or otherwise perform services that require that masks be removed.
• College sports may continue if their plan is specifically approved by the Department of Public Health and no spectators are present.
• Zoos may operate only in their outdoor areas.
• Parks, trails, playgrounds, and athletic fields will remain open for individual use only. (No group sports.)

Pennsylvania's New Travel Rules

Travelers from out of state will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering the state. Those who choose not to get tested will have to quarantine for 14 days. The new order will not apply to individuals communicating to and from another state for work or medical treatments.

Philadelphia’s Trace Your Contacts Guidance

In order to help people stop the spread, Philadelphia is asking people who test positive to help stop the spread by tracing their own contacts.

The Philadelphia Health Department’s contact tracing team is continuing to work, but for those who have not been contacted, and have developed an easy three-step to help people who have tested positive do this: https://bit.ly/TraceYourContactsPHL.

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Joy Franklin
Food and Event Writer
My joy is aimed at food and foodie lovers. I enjoy covering trends, issues, and all things Philly