Philadelphia releases plan for green phase reopening

The City of Philadelphia released a comprehensive plan today outlining its plan to move into the “green” phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan, which could happen as early as July 3.

“Reopening with Care,” which follows the city’s “Safer at Home” plan for transitioning from the red to the yellow phase, aims to bolster the city’s testing, contact tracing and isolation capacity to allow for the safe reopening of some social activities as allowed by the state.

The City set a target of less than 80 new cases a day and 250 or less patients being treated in city hospitals for it to move to the green phase, among other metrics, according to the plan. Philadelphia has averaged approximately 93 new cases a day in the past two weeks, according to Spotlight PA, reporting 68 new cases today, marking 24,723 cases since the beginning of the outbreak.

Restaurants with limited indoor seating, along with gyms, schools, colleges, libraries, museums and shopping malls can open under the green phase, according to guidance released by the city. Outdoor events with more than 50 people and large indoor gatherings will continue to be limited and “gradually” restart at the city’s discretion.

“We will still restrict some activities that are allowed by the state, and we’ll have stricter guidance,” Mayor Jim Kenney wrote in a tweet. “Philly is uniquely at risk as the most densely populated county in the state with the highest number of cases and deaths. We don’t want to see a second wave.”

Businesses will continue to need to follow guidance from the city on the use of masks and physical distancing during the reopening, according to today’s announcement.

Though still in the yellow phase, the city will allow residential swimming pools and private swim clubs, outdoor Zoos, salons, barbershops and spas to open and permit indoor gatherings of up to 25 people beginning June 26, according to the announcement.

“Philly: You didn’t just flatten curve—you suppressed the virus and saved thousands of lives,” Kenney wrote in another tweet. “Let’s continue our progress so we can look back and say that we #ReopenedWithCare.”