Image courtesy of SEPTA.

As Philadelphia has moved into the Yellow coronavirus re-opening phase and ridership is expected to grow, all SEPTA riders will now be required to wear a mask or facial covering. The new requirement goes into effect on Monday, June 8. In April, SEPTA asked riders to wear a facial covering to help spread COVID-19 on public transportation, but it wasn’t a requirement. SEPTA employees will “engage customers to remind them about the requirement starting Monday,” according to an announcement by SEPTA released Friday.

SEPTA returned to regular transit service on May 17, with rider limits for buses and trolleys still in effect. This will continue throughout the Yellow Phase. There are also signs marking off seats to indicate where passengers should sit to maintain a safe space.  Continue Reading

Today Philadelphia entered the “yellow” coronavirus re-opening phase, which allows in-person sales at retail stores with some restrictions. Food trucks and limited walk-up service at cafes and restaurants are also allowed. Outdoor dining at restaurants is not re-opening this Friday while the city is still working on safety guidelines, which are expected to be released by next week. Outdoor dining is now expected to start operating by June 12.

The City released Re-opening Guidelines for businesses and institutions last week. While stay-at-home orders are lifted in the yellow phase, residents should still follow safety practices, like social distancing, wearing facial coverings and more. Check out the city’s “Safer at Home” guide for more information and instructions for the yellow re-opening phase.

“This move to yellow is welcome, but it is not by any means a return to normalcy,” Mayor Jim Kenney said last Friday when the guide was released. While public gatherings up to 25 people are allowed in the yellow phase in the state of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia authorities are still not recommending gatherings of any kind.

UPDATE (6/6/2020): Aldi supermarket at 46th and Market Streets has reopened to shoppers. The store was broken into and looted on Sunday night, according to staff.

UPDATE (6/5/2020): The ShopRite located at ParkWest Town Center (52nd and Jefferson), which was ransacked by looters on Sunday, will reopen this coming Sunday (June 7) at 7 a.m. Read more here. There will also be a free produce giveaway at 52nd and Parkside this Sunday, June 7, beginning at 9 a.m. Please bring your own bag!

The citywide curfew will resume at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 4.

UPDATE (6/3/2020): Neighbors are reporting that Rite Aid and Walgreens on the 300 and 100 block of North 63rd Street were looted and Rite Aid was set on fire Sunday night. Many people, especially senior citizens, are now unable to get their medication.  Continue Reading

Over the last several days, many local organizations have posted public statements or messages reflecting on the protests and civil unrest in the city and on the issue of systemic racism, and showing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We’re posting some of them below. Some of these messages include information on how you can help the local Black community and businesses in the aftermath of the recent events and also educational resources for non-Black individuals and families.

People’s Emergency Center (PEC):

“As we surveyed the damage of the weekend’s unrest in our neighborhoods, we shared a deep sense of sadness for business owners, community residents, and others who have invested so much to ensure access to vibrant commercial corridors to meet the needs of residents. And though it will take time and money, we believe the damage done to businesses can and will be repaired somewhat easily.  Continue Reading

We won’t know the official results for more than a week, but it looks like a couple of upsets are brewing following Tuesday’s primary election.

It looks like Amen Brown will be the Democratic candidate in November for the State House of Representatives 190th District. Several news outlets have already projected Brown to win the seat. He had about 49 percent of the votes as of Wednesday. G. Roni Green, who won the seat in a special election earlier year, stood in second place with 29 percent.

The results won’t be final until mail-in ballots are counted, which could take several days, according to election officials.  Continue Reading

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation has extended the application deadline for their Playstreets program to Monday, June 15. Playstreets is the City’s free summer feeding program for children and Parks & Rec is accepting applications from residents who want to volunteer as block captains for this program.

Each summer, 300 to 350 city streets are closed temporarily to vehicular traffic to give children a safe place to gather, play, and eat a free, nutritious meal. The program has been running for more than 50 years and takes place in every neighborhood of the city.  Continue Reading