Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley extended the city’s heat health emergency through tomorrow night at 8 p.m., Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
Philadelphia opened alternative spaces for people to escape the heat wave since many air-conditioned public spaces are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like Philadelphia Free Library locations. Philadelphians must wear face masks and practice social distancing while inside of these cooling sites.
Five of the cooling sites open to the public from 1-5 p.m. on July 21-22 are:
- Haddington Library on 65th Street near Girard Avenue
- Lillian Marrero Library on Lehigh Avenue near 6th Street
- Logan Library on Wagner Avenue near Old York Road
- West Philadelphia High School on 49th Street near Chestnut Street
- Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts on Front Street near Montgomery Avenue
City officials also partnered with SEPTA to create cooling sites at six air-conditioned buses parked across the city. One of these buses will be open from 3-5 p.m. on July 21 at Broad Street and Snyder Avenue. The other five will be open from 1-5 p.m. on July 21-22 at the following locations:
- Germantown and Allegheny Avenues
- Wyoming and Rising Sun Avenues
- Belgrade and Allegheny Avenues
- 52nd Street and Larchwood Avenue
- N. 29th and W. York Streets
Although the city’s 92 spraygrounds are open to the public, the city cautioned Philadelphians to practice social distancing and wear masks when not in the water to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The heat emergency first was first enacted on July 20 from 8:30 a.m. through midnight as heat indexes forecasted temperatures exceeding 110 degrees, WHYY reported.
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