PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia is easing COVID-19 restrictions on retail, restaurants, theaters, and events and gatherings effective March 1.
We are one step closer to returning to normal, said Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley, as he announced the changes at Friday's coronavirus media briefing.
Essentially the city, which has been generally more restrictive than the rest of Pennsylvania, is easing guidelines back to the state standard.
The capacity for retail stores is rising to 20 customers per 1,000 square feet.
Senior centers, which have been closed since March 2020, will be allowed to open. Everyone will be required to double-mask or wear a KN95 mask, and there is a limit of no more than 25 people in a room at one time.
Restaurants are not going to make changes to indoor seating, but outdoors, tables will now be allowed to accommodate up to six people instead of four, and those people will no longer be required to be from the same household.
Movie theaters can seat people up to 10% of total capacity and start serving food again.
Sports fans will be allowed back at indoor and outdoor events in accordance with state restrictions — a max of 2,500 people outdoors and 500 indoors.
According to the Wells Fargo Center, that increase isn’t enough to let in fans just yet. Current games without fans already require several hundred employees, so the bump from 250 to 500 people would benefit workers first.
“Welcoming fans back to Wells Fargo Center would require more than 500 employees in the arena, so we’re not able to do that with our capacity limited to only 500 people,” said Valerie Camillo, president of business operations for the Philadelphia Flyers and Wells Fargo Center, in a statement. “We are in direct communication with city and state officials to determine when we can further increase our capacity and welcome fans back to the arena.”
As for other restrictions, the crowd limit at outdoor catered events is bumping from 50 to 100 people. Gatherings at outdoor venues are rising to the state limit of 15% capacity.
“These are changes that will go into effect March 1,” said Farley. “They’re a little bit complicated, but we’re getting more in line with the state and one step closer to returning to normal.”
Farley emphasized all of this depends on consistent, universal mask-wearing.