Philadelphia drops most 'Safer-at-Home' restrictions, indoor mask mandate remains
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia on Wednesday lifted most of its remaining "Safer-at-Home" restrictions, including limits on capacity and social distancing, as COVID-19 caseloads drop and vaccinations steadily increase.
Officials originally scheduled the ‘Safer-at-Home’ restrictions to drop on June 11 but moved the date a week ahead after the city logged its lowest number of new cases since September 2020 and hit a percent positive rate below 3%.
Density limits, maximum capacity restrictions, and distancing rules are some of the orders that will expire on June 2.
Minutes after the city's announcement, the Sixers tweeted that the Wells Fargo Center will return to 100% capacity on June 2 for the Sixers playoff run.
"There is no better time to welcome home our passionate and loyal fans than right now, in the midst of what we hope will be a historic playoff run," a statement from Sixers' President Chris Heck read. "Our fans provide a home court advantage that is both unmatched and necessary as we work to bring an NBA championship to Philadelphia."
The indoor mask mandate and 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants remain in place, but the city said it could drop both restrictions on June 11 if the data keeps trending in the right direction.
Philadelphia, a city with an estimated population of more than 1 million people, has close to 700,000 people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 200,000+ with at least one dose, according to the latest data from the city.
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