In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses in school, reduce absenteeism and prioritize in-person learning after the winter break, the School District of Philadelphia will reinstate mandatory masking for students and employees for 10 days following the winter break – from January 3 through January 13, 2023.

This implementation is part of the District’s general COVID-19 protocol for the 2022-2023 school year that was shared in August.

District employees, students and families can pick up free at-home COVID-19 test kits at five school-based testing locations while supplies last. SDP testing locations will be closed on December 26 and January 2 in observance of the federal holidays.

Testing locations, the most updated COVID-19 data and more information can be found on the District’s COVID-19 Information Hub.

The School District of Philadelphia in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) has released updated COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the 2022-23 school year.

For the first 10 days of the new school year – from August 29 through September 9 – all students and staff will be required to wear masks while in school, regardless of the COVID-19 Community Level (see CDC COVID-19 Community Level Indicators).

Beyond the first 10 days of the new school year, masking is optional but encouraged for students and staff except under certain circumstances: Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia students and staff will again be required to wear masks during the school and work day starting Monday, May 23 and until further notice.

The decision to return to mask wearing at District schools was made due to a growing number of COVID-19 cases in the city and after consultation with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). Masks will also be required while riding transportation coordinated by the District.

The School District will continue to work with PDPH to closely monitor COVID case counts.

As of May 16, Philadelphia averaged 364 new COVID-19 cases per day. 142 people were hospitalized with the infection as of May 18.

Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health has lifted the indoor mask mandate.

Although the city was experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, there has been a recent leveling-off of case counts and a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to today’s announcement.

The City’s decision to reinstate the mask mandate on Monday, April 18 drew criticism. It was the only large U.S. city to reinstate the mandate this spring.

Instead of requiring residents to wear a mask in indoor public places, masks are now “strongly recommended.” As of yesterday, the city was averaging 242 new COVID-19 cases per day and 65 hospitalizations.

The department also announced that they are retiring the system of COVID-19 response levels introduced earlier this year. Continue Reading

SEPTA has announced that masks will no longer be required on vehicles, stations and concourses after a federal judge struck down the federal travel mask mandate.

SEPTA’s announcement came as an indoor mask mandate went into effect across the city, sowing confusion about where masks are required and where they are not.

Some transportation agencies around the country, notably New York City’s MTA, have kept a mask mandate in place. Others like Amtrak have made masks optional. Continue Reading

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.