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Establishments where customers can sit and eat or drink must require proof of vaccine for entry beginning Jan. 3, 2022.
Employees and children ages 5 years and 3 months through 11 years old will be required to have one dose of COVID vaccine by Jan. 3 and to complete their vaccine series by Feb. 3.
For the first two weeks of this mandate, these establishments may choose to accept proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of entry for people who are not fully vaccinated.
This exception will end, and everyone will need to be fully vaccinated, on Jan. 17. After that day, negative tests will no longer be allowed to be used to get into food establishments.
COVID vaccines are one of the best ways to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. Paired with the City’s indoor mask mandate, the high rates of vaccination in Philadelphia have kept Philadelphia’s case rate among the lowest in Pennsylvania.
The mandate applies to the following settings that serve food:
- Indoor restaurant spaces
- Cafes within larger spaces (like museums)
- Bars
- Sports venues that serve food or drink for onsite consumption
- Movie theaters
- Bowling alleys
- Other entertainment venues that serve food or drink for onsite consumption
- Conventions (if food is being served)
- Catering halls
- Casinos where food and drink is allowed on the floor
- Food court seating areas should be cordoned off and have someone checking vaccine status on entry to the seating area
People with proof of valid religious or medical exemptions and children under five years and three months are exempt from the mandate.
At the time this blog is published, people have five weeks to get fully vaccinated and help us all get past this winter wave and closer to a COVID-free Philadelphia.
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