Posted on 11/16/2020 11:13:09 AM PST by lightman
Facing an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases, and a threat of overwhelmed hospitals, Philadelphia has imposed new restrictions limiting gatherings; prohibiting indoor dining and setting new capacity restrictions for stores, churches and more. The new restrictions go into effect on Friday, Nov. 20 and will last until Jan. 1, 2021 at the earliest.
Philadelphia health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley shared a dire picture of the city’s future if the coronavirus is allowed to spread at its current pace. He noted that at the rate the virus is spreading, the city is set to reach more than 3,000 new cases per day by 2021. Hospitals are already experiencing strain, but could hit capacity before the end of the year. COVID-19 related deaths in the city could increase by 700 or 1,000 between now and the end of the year.
The new restrictions were inspired by similar moves in Europe, which appear to show that schools can remain open during a general shutdown.
Here is a list of the new prohibitions:
Indoor gatherings or events of any size, public or private, are prohibited.
Outdoor gatherings should be limited to 10% occupancy. No food or drink is allowed at these events, to encourage everyone to wear a mask for the entirety of the event. Larger venues will have an attendance cap at 2,000 people. This means that no fans will be allowed at Eagles games played at Lincoln Financial Field.
Indoor dining is prohibited.
Outdoor dining should be restricted to members of one household only. As such, the city is asking restaurants to restrict tables to just four seats.
Retail stores should operate at 5% capacity, or 5 persons per 1,000 square feet. Staff should enforce the city’s mask policy and not allowing anyone without a mask to enter the store. The store should also not serve anyone without a mask on.
Religious institutions should operate services and gatherings at 5% occupancy, or 5 persons per 1,000 square feet. Online services are encouraged.
Senior day services should stay closed.
College and high schools will move to virtual and remote learning only.
Middle schools, elementary schools and childcare facilities can continue to operate in-person, provided everyone wears a mask and practices social distancing.
Museums, theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, casinos and libraries should be closed.
Gyms and indoor exercise classes are prohibited, but outdoor exercise classes are allowed to continue.
People should work from home unless they are unable to do so.
Beauty salons and barbershops are allowed to remain open, but staff and customers must wear masks at all times. These companies are not allowed to work on the face or other services that would require masks to be removed.
Recreational activities and youth, community and school sports are prohibited. College sports are allowed to continue as long as there are no spectators.
Zoos will only have their outdoor areas open.
Farley encouraged the neighboring counties to put similar restrictions into place. “We’re all in this together,” he said.
If you encounter a business or institution not following the city’s COVID-19 guidelines, you are encouraged to contact the city at 311 or by submitting a request on phila.gov.
Philadelphia is one of a handful of Pennsylvania Counties which operates its own Department of Health.
As such, it may impose restrictions more stringent than those set by the Commonwealth.
Watch for the rest of Pennsylvania to go the same way within la week...just like in March.

Pennsylvania Ping!
Please ping me with articles of interest.
FReepmail me to be added to the list.
Can't have people organizing a protesting the "attempt" to steal the election.
Good luck enforcing this crap.
They are doing everything that they can to distract the public from watching developments in the fraudulant election investigation.
Makes perfect sense. I'm in NJ so we're following a similar profile and you can see that we're right back where we were at the height in April. If you only look at cases, that is. Please don't pay attention to the deaths figure and put your slave collar back on.
. . . at a time when we are in most need of Divine Intervention!
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Can't have people organizing a protesting the "attempt" to steal the election.
Exactly.
Farley encouraged the neighboring counties to put similar restrictions into place.
Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks Counties operate their own Health Departments, as do the Cities of Bethlehem, Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, and York.
In Western PA only Allegheny and Eire Counties have their own DOH.
(Another) shut down ping.
Can’t have folks/likeminded folks gathering, and discussing these tyrants and their attempt to overthrow a sitting President....throughout his term and by attempting to steal the election, can we?
NO TALKING AMONGST YOURSELVES, Serfs!
I believe you meant,
"put your slave MASK back on"
‘Watch for the rest of Pennsylvania to go the same way within la week...just like in March.’
yep; these people are just not going to let it go...stupid people telling even stupider people what to do...
Ha, ha... It is only Democratic states with a possible recount that are now enforcing greater restrictions. What better way to limit recount observers?
My guess is what’s going on with these new edicts that sound exactly like the old edicts in March is the Democrats heard all that cynical talk along the lines of, “Oh, sure. You watch. After the election, all this crap will stop,” and they feel like they have to keep the FEAR going awhile longer as a result to make things look on the up-and-up.
‘Good luck enforcing this crap.’
they’ll have no issue enforcing it; the world abounds with snitches, mostly old ladies who think they’re doing God’s work...
‘It is only Democratic states with a possible recount that are now enforcing greater restrictions.’
eh...? NM, WA, NJ, and NY are all imposing the most draconian restrictions yet to date, worse than April...in none of those states is the election being contested...
The “cases” statistic is ramping up because of vastly increased testing. As you point out, the “deaths” stat is down to negligible levels compared to April.
‘As you point out, the “deaths” stat is down to negligible levels compared to April.’
irrelevant; the overlords say jump, and the rubes ask ‘how high...?’
“If you encounter a business or institution not following the cityâs COVID-19 guidelines, you are encouraged to contact the city at 311 or by submitting a request on phila.gov.”
Echos of North Korea, where family members are rewarded for snitching on other family members.
Sadly, that’s the case. We have relatively few restrictions in my part of Florida although my RINO and is a control freak and has made a few stabs at shutting down more than the state allows. But he’s happy - in order to conceal his inability to c torno our outrageously high black on black murder rate, he’s gotten himself a squadron of bicycle poloce mask enforcers, who show up at events and give tickets.
And as for the churches...the mask police drop in there on foot too, but the real enforcement comes from other church goers who squeal to the city enforcement line. Our parish priest even came out and asked us to please wear masks, and said he hated it too and never wore one unless he had to, but some of our fellow parishioners had turned him in for tolerating unmasked families sitting together in the church. I hope their wretched little weasel ears were burning. Snitches!
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