What do you know
- Concerns over the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant among the unvaccinated prompted city officials to issue new guidelines for indoor face masks.
- Philadelphia’s acting health commissioner said the city is seeing a small but alarming increase in hospitalizations among children who currently cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine.
- We urge unvaccinated Philadelphians to avoid crowded public places and, if they cannot, wear a face mask to protect themselves and others.
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If you are visiting a public place in Philadelphia, you must wear a face mask whether or not you have been vaccinated, according to new guidelines released Thursday by the Philadelphia Department of Health.
Officials said they “strongly recommend” the wearing of the mask, but were not required to do so. Non-immune people are encouraged to wear the double mask to protect themselves and others.
Philadelphia ended the mask’s tenure on June 11.
The emergence of the delta variant of COVID-19 has led to an increase in infections in the United States. Viral mutation is highly contagious This has led to a threefold increase in new infections in the past two weeks. Most new hospitalizations In unvaccinated youth. The southern states were the hardest hit in the last wave.
As the ‘transmissible’ delta variant increases in communities across the United States, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walinsky has issued a stern warning to those who are still not immune to the coronavirus, saying: ” What concerns us is that we will see cases that could Prevention, hospitalization and unfortunately mortality 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 Kenny said in a statement. This total translates to 60.8% of adults having received a complete vaccination 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 more than one million people who have received this life-saving vaccine in Philadelphia,” Kenny said.
Despite a full vaccination, a person can still be infected with the coronavirus, but the effects of the disease are greatly diminished. Vaccinated people who develop what is called a “breakthrough infection” are unlikely to need hospitalization or die. This is why public health officials around the world are emphasizing the importance of immunization. (If you still need to vaccinate, Here is a tool to find the nearest vaccination provider to you.)
In addition to general guidelines for indoor masks, city officials have recommended that people avoid crowded indoor locations.
As Philadelphia urges 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 injuries. The health department said the city had recorded an average of 64 new daily cases reported in the past two weeks. This same rate reached mid-November 2020 to 7,362 positive cases.
Acting Health Commissioner Dr Cheryl Petigol said authorities are seeing a “slight but alarming increase” in hospital admissions among children whose number of cases has recently doubled.
Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are not approved for children under 12 Approval may not arrive until winter 2022.
“It’s time for all of us to do what we need to do to protect the children in our city. That means getting full vaccinations if you haven’t already, and that means we’re all back to wearing masks in public, ”Petigol said in a written statement.
Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, 3,763 Philadelphians have died from illness associated with COVID-19. And 146,142 residents have been infected with the virus, some of whom still suffer from long-term health effects.
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