PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With the Delta variant leading to a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Philadelphia Department of Health has issued new guidelines "strongly recommending" that all people wear masks in public indoor spaces, including those who already have been fully vaccinated.
They also strongly recommend those without full vaccination from COVID-19 should consider wearing two masks to help increase protection from the virus.
The Health Department is not requiring masking, but is making the strong recommendation due to an increase in daily new cases of COVID-19, an increase in the percentage of positive tests and the lack of availability of vaccines for children under 12 years old.
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Philadelphia averaged 64 new COVID-19 cases each day over the last seven days. That is two and a half times more than the case count average from 10 days ago. 55 people are currently hospitalized in Philadelphia due to the virus, including a slight increase in hospitalizations involving children who are too young to be vaccinated.
"We are seeing a small but disturbing increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 among children in Philadelphia, along with more than a doubling of cases in the city,” Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said in a statement.
"When we see cases that have more than doubled in about a week’s time, that is a very concerning rate of increase."
She said these cases underscore the importance for adults to get vaccinated.
"When we start seeing hospitalizations rise in children who can't get vaccinated, we really need our city to step up for our kids," Dr. Bettigole added.
Philadelphia has vaccinated more than 1 million people since the vaccine became available, but 26% of adult residents still have not received a first COVID-19 shot.
The Health Department said the best way to be protected against COVID-19 is to receive full vaccinations. They say that those getting both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines receiver better than 90% protection against the Delta variant which is much more virulent.
"Researchers have found that the Delta variant is about 1,000 times more infectious than other COVID variants that we’re used to," the city said in a blog post.
"That means that it can infect more people more easily. It’s not necessarily more dangerous, but the more people who become infected, the more likely that someone will end up in the hospital or worse."
"Talk to your doctor," Dr. Bettigole added. "Talk to your friends and family who have been vaccinated. Get the answers you need, and then step up."
The city is also recommending that people wear masks anytime they are indoors and around people whom they don't know are vaccinated, to choose activities outside rather than indoors, and to avoid crowded indoor spaces.
The U.S. Surgeon General recently suggested that mask mandates could return in some municipalities with the increase in cases across the country.
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