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Initially social gatherings were to be kept at no more than 25 people for inside, and 50 for outside.
Now, Philadelphia health officials say university and college students should avoid all social gatherings with people outside of their household. Interviews with students who tested positive for COVID-19 revealed that some attended small gatherings within the legal limit.
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said this could be a trend. In a statement, he said, "It does not require large social gatherings for this virus to spread. Any time two or more people are near each other without wearing masks, there is a risk."
Officials said that college and university leaders have been working closely with the Philadelphia Department of Health on plans to reduce the risk of spread on campus, and they're following those plans.
However, interviews suggest that small gatherings that are not organized by school leaders have put people at risk.
"Something that I have been continuing to emphasize is that no matter the measures that are in place right now, it's just not going to be enough," said Quinn Litsinger, student body president at Temple University. "To be blunt, it's entirely meaningless from a student perspective."
"Temple has instituted a lot of great policies, but at the end of the day, you can't police the decisions that 29,000 undergraduates make," he continued, "and the only responsible decision at this point is to shut down the university for the safety of the surrounding community, students and faculty."
Health officials recommend that if people cannot avoid coming into close contact with those outside their household, they should wear masks.