New food establishment vaccine mandate begins Monday, January 3
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported an additional 23,136 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Thursday, December 9. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 945,139, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to at least 1,179,473. Currently, 76.1 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 95 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
All residents ages five and older are eligible to be vaccinated in Philadelphia. 17.4 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in Philadelphia have received at least one vaccine dose. Among eligible Philadelphians ages 12 and older, 70.5 percent are fully vaccinated, and 88 percent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Department of Health reports 368 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 42 on ventilators.
In the last two weeks, five percent of COVID-19 tests in Philadelphia have come back positive. Thus far during the pandemic, 182,815 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 4,127 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 492 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.
City of Philadelphia Announces Food Establishment Vaccine Mandate: Starting Monday, January 3, 2022, any establishment in Philadelphia that sells food and/or drink for consumption onsite may admit only those patrons who have completed their vaccine series against COVID-19. For the first two weeks of this mandate, Monday, January 3 through Monday, January 17, establishments may choose to accept proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of entry in lieu of proof of vaccination. After Monday, January 17, negative COVID-19 tests can no longer be accepted in lieu of proof of vaccination. Staff and children aged five years and three months through 11 will be required to have had one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Monday, January 3 and to complete their vaccine series by Thursday, February 3. Learn more through the Health Department’s press release and blog.