Fully vaccinated people should wear masks in indoor public spaces, say Philly health officials – NBC10 Philadelphia

If you are visiting a public space in Philadelphia, you must wear a face mask whether or not you are vaccinated, according to new guidelines released Thursday by the Philadelphia Department of Health.

Officials said they “strongly recommend” the wearing of a mask, but did not require it. Unvaccinated people are encouraged to wear a double mask to protect themselves and others.

Philadelphia ended his mask tenure on June 11.

An increase in the delta variant of COVID-19 has led to an increase in infections in the United States. The highly contagious viral mutation has led to a three-fold increase in new infections in the past two weeks. The majority of new hospitalizations concern younger and unvaccinated people. Southern states were hit hardest in the last wave.

As the ‘hypertransmissible’ Delta variant increases in communities across the United States, CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky has issued a stern warning to those who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus, stating: “Our greater concern is that we are going to see preventable cases, hospitalizations and, sadly, deaths among the unvaccinated.

As of this week, more than one million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. That total translates to 60.8% of adults fully vaccinated and 73.9% having received at least one dose, according to the Philadelphia Department of Health. The city opened vaccination to all residents on April 19.

“We will continue to immunize everyone who is ready and encourage them to join the million people who have received this life-saving vaccine in Philadelphia,” Kenney said.

Although fully vaccinated, someone can still be infected with the coronavirus, but the effects of the disease are severely mitigated. Vaccinated people who contract a “breakthrough infection” are very unlikely to require hospitalization or die. This is why public health officials around the world are emphasizing the importance of vaccination. (If you still need to get vaccinated, here is a tool to find the vaccination provider closest to you.)

In addition to advice on public indoor masks, city officials have recommended people avoid crowded indoor spaces.

As Philadelphia asks people to take further precautions, the city’s infection rate is far lower than in previous months.

Five people were admitted to city hospitals with COVID-19 on Thursday and one was on a ventilator. In April 2020, nearly 850 people were hospitalized with serious infections. The city has recorded an average of 64 new daily cases reported in the past two weeks, the health department said. This same average in mid-November 2020 stood at 7,362 positive cases.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr Cheryl Bettigole said authorities are seeing a “small but worrying increase” in hospitalizations among children, with cases having doubled in recent times.

Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are not approved for children under the age of 12. Federal health officials have said approval may not arrive until the winter of 2022.

“It’s time for all of us to do what we need to do to protect the children of our city. That means being fully vaccinated if you haven’t already, and that means we all have to start wearing masks in public again, ”Bettigole said in a written statement.

Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, 3,763 Philadelphians have been killed by COVID-19-related illness. 146,142 other residents contracted the virus, some of whom continue to suffer from lingering health effects.