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.

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

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading

5050 Baltimore Ave. (Hyacinth Montessori Instagram)

A new Montessori school serving grades 1-6 will open on the 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue next fall.

Hyacinth Montessori, a “micro school,” is accepting applications now for the 2022-2023 school year. The school is starting with a small class of about 10 students, but founders Madeleine Nutting and Carmen Montopoli hope to grow the tuition-based school to a full enrollment of 25 students.

The Montessori approach includes guided hands-on, self-directed activities and collaborative play.

“Each child progresses through standards-aligned learning at their own pace,” Montopoli, a trained Montessori teacher with several years experience leading classrooms, wrote in an email. “Elementary students thrive when supported to create a learning community in which each child is valued for their own interests and contributions.” Continue Reading

Protected bike lane on Chestnut Street (archived photo).

Some street improvement work is coming this year to Chestnut and Walnut streets in West Philadelphia. The Chestnut-Walnut Traffic Safety project is expected to kick off this spring and will include Chestnut Street from 34th to 63rd Street, and Walnut Street from 22nd Street to 63rd Street. More than six miles are expected to be repaved as part of this project.

The project will also include improvements of the existing bike lanes on both streets. A protected bike lane was built on a portion of Chestnut Street (between 45th and 34th) in 2017. It is expected that the lane will be extended to 63rd Street. One of the goals of the project is to increase safety for bicyclists by separating them from motor vehicle traffic.

Other goals include construction of shorter and safer pedestrian crossings, improvement of parking and loading operations, and calming traffic by decreasing speeding and aggressive driving on these streets.

The project is coordinated by the City’s Streets Department and is implemented by PennDOT.

The City has introduced a new, tiered approach to COVID-19 safety requirements, as the number of new cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in Philadelphia. As of today (Wednesday, Feb. 16), the City has lifted the proof of vaccination requirement for indoor dining and drinking at bars, restaurants and other places that serve food or drink. The mask requirement for all indoor public settings still remains in place until further notice.

The City’s Department of Public Health has presented four COVID-19 response levels, from Extreme Caution to All Clear, which will be implemented based on the number of new cases, hospitalizations and other criteria. As of today, Philadelphia is in Level 2: Mask Precautions. The response level will be updated as needed every Monday. Continue Reading