Beginning Monday, April 18, Philadelphians will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces as COVID-19 cases are again on the rise in the city. The announcement that Philadelphia has switched from Level 1 (All Clear) of COVID response to Level 2 (Mask Precautions) was made this afternoon by the City’s Department of Public Health. As of today (April 11), Philadelphia averages at 142 new COVID cases per day, a more than 50 percent increase from at least 10 days ago. The number of hospitalizations in the city is currently 44.

The Department of Public Health began recommending masks in indoor public spaces last week, after the increase in COVID cases was reported. Although the current COVID response level is 2, masks in indoor public spaces will not be required until next Monday so that businesses have enough time to prepare for the new requirement.

To learn more about the City’s COVID-19 response levels and their criteria, go here.

A new public health center aimed at the local community and offering primary and preventative health care for adults and children, pre- and postnatal care, behavioral health and social services and addiction treatment has opened at 54th and Cedar.

The PHMC Health Center on Cedar is staffed by clinicians from Penn Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and is part of the non-profit Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Public Health Campus, the former site of Mercy Philadelphia Hospital.

The federally-funded clinic at 54th and Cedar is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They accept walk-ins and in-person and telehealth appointments and accept most insurance plans. A sliding fee scale is available and everyone will be treated regardless of their ability to pay. Continue Reading

IMPaCT, an evidence-based center at Penn Medicine that hires and trains trusted laypeople from local communities, is looking for Philadelphians who are interested in applying for the position of a Community Health Worker. If you have ever helped a family member or friend get health care services and feel passionate about changing things harming your community’s health, this may be the job for you!

Community health workers act as caring neighbors who help people address the social, medical and community problems that lead to poor health. Some of the key duties include: Continue Reading

Starting today, students and staff at Philadelphia public and Archdiocesan schools are not required to wear masks. The mask mandate has also been lifted for early childhood education settings, except for Head Start programs. Masking also continues in pre-K classrooms that also have Head Start students.

Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases.

The City’s Department of Public Health announced last Wednesday the immediate transition to the All Clear COVID-19 response level due to the continuous drop in the number of new cases and some other criteria. The All Clear level (Level 1) means that proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are no longer required in most indoor public places. Masking is still required on public transit and in healthcare settings.

During the All Clear period, businesses may choose to require staff and patrons to wear a mask and/or show proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated residents are advised by the Department of Public Health to wear a mask in indoor settings.

Do you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine? There’s an opportunity to have a lot of your questions answered this Friday, March 11 by a West Philly medical professional.

Registered nurse Yanique Millis will be live on Zoom to talk to you as part of a virtual forum hosted by Mighty Writers, the non-profit that provides educational opportunities to children and youth in and around Philadelphia. All questions about the vaccines for both children and adults are welcome.

The forum begins at 6 p.m. and you can register for it by following this link.

Philadelphians have been given “All Clear” as the current COVID-19 response level, which means wearing masks at indoor public places is no longer required, with some exceptions (see below). The announcement was made this morning by Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the City’s Public Health Commissioner.

During the Level 1 – All Clear period, no public COVID-19 mandates will be enforced, but masks will still be required in some settings, including schools, healthcare settings and public transit. The City is planning to drop the school mask requirement on March 9 if COVID-19 cases and other metrics will continue to drop. Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases. Continue Reading