PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia officials are pausing at the reopening of some activities as the city goes into green phase on Friday. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley announced Tuesday that the reopening of meals and gyms in the city will not be allowed until at least August 1 due to an increase in new COVID-19 cases.
Farley targets high-risk activities where the risk of spreading COVID-19 is higher. But the restrictions will be lifted on Friday in a variety of other places.
“It was a difficult decision because we recognize that there are restaurants out there, business owners who need to earn a living, employees who want to employ. We want to start the economy. At the same time, we are very concerned about the epidemic, “said Farley.
The health commissioner says some restrictions remain because COVID-19 cases have increased, mainly among youth.
“It has been linked to social events, traveling, and in particular traveling to the Jersey shore,” Farley said.
COVID-19 vaccine from Inovio Pharmaceuticals of Montgomery County shows positive results in the early stages of the test
Some low-risk activities will be allowed to resume on Friday, July 3, as part of the modified restricted green phase. Those activities include museums and libraries, indoor shopping malls, and small indoor and outdoor gatherings.
Casinos will also be reopened, but with very strict requirements, including guests wearing masks, six-foot spacing between guests, and absolutely no food, drink, or smoking indoors.
“We are no longer seeing the decline we were seeing before,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “The only thing that is going to affect this virus is how we behave.” We will have to behave in a way that prevents the spread of one person to another. “
The decision to keep closed restaurants closed impacts 4,200 restaurants in the city.
“If we allowed people to congregate there without masks, that could catalyze another increase in cases,” Farley said.
Farley says we have to get used to living with the coronavirus, which will not be under control until there is a vaccine. Expect, with safety precautions, that there is no spike, which would cause restrictions to be re-imposed.
Some New Jersey restaurants lose thousands of dollars after Governor Phil Murphy postpones reopening of an indoor dinner
The health department also recommends that people do not travel from Philadelphia to the red states below and that anyone returning to Philadelphia from these states is quarantined for 14 days.
“Recommendation that people in Philadelphia not travel to high-level areas and that people traveling from high-level areas coming to Philadelphia be quarantined for 14 days,” said Dr. Farley. “There is a map that is published on our website that indicates the states that we consider high-level areas.”
States include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
It is now mandatory to wear a mask in Philadelphia in and in crowded areas.
Most of the state of Pennsylvania is now in the green phase of reopening.
Stephanie Stahl of CBS3 contributed to this report.
.
