Philadelphia Drops Mask Mandate Days After Reimposing It

  • Mayor’s office cites declining hospitalizations in decision
  • Latest indoor coronavirus mandate went into effect Monday

A "Masks Required' sign outside of a restaurant as the indoor mask mandate is reinstated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 18.

Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg
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Philadelphia has scrapped its indoor mask mandate, less than two weeks after reimposing it, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney said Thursday night.

“Due to decreasing hospitalizations and a leveling of case counts, the city will move to strongly recommending masks in indoor public spaces as opposed to a mask mandate,” the spokeswoman, Sarah Peterson, said in an email.