Across the country, COVID-19 cases have been on the rise, and now Philadelphia is reportedly the first major city in the United States to take precautions to curb the spread of the virus. The city has reportedly reinstated its indoor mask mandate.
This past Monday, the city of Philadelphia revealed they would require residents to wear masks while inside buildings, only a month after deciding to remove the mandate. The news is following a rise in deaths and hospitalization due to the BA.2 Omicron COVID-19 variant, which reportedly has become the dominant strain in the United States.
Mayor Jim Kenney spoke on the matter, saying, “We can still go about our daily lives and visit the people and places we love while masking in indoor public spaces. I’m optimistic that this step will help us control the case rate.” Public Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole spoke on the possible severity of the new variant, saying, “I suspect that this wave will be smaller than the one we saw in January,” she said. “But if we wait to find out and to put our masks back on, we’ll have lost our chance to stop the wave.” Stay tuned for more updates.
source: CNN
