The following is intended as a plain-language summary of rules during the COVID-19 emergency and does not replace the need to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The Department of Public Health strongly encourages people over the age of 65 to be fully vaccinated before attending any event.

For all instances where PA state guidance differs from the Health Department, follow the guidance which is most restrictive.

Protections Needed

Masks

• For indoor events, require all staff and attendees to bring and wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, except while eating and drinking. Staff must also wear eye protection.
• For outdoor events, unvaccinated attendees should be masked if they are less than 6 feet away from others.
• For outdoor events, wait staff must wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Consider providing masks for guests or staff who do not have a mask.
• Employees should be seated at least 3 feet from others when not wearing masks, including when eating or drinking while on breaks.
• Performers should wear face coverings whenever possible.

Isolate

• Screen all guests for symptoms before the event and ask them not to attend if they have cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, muscle pain, or new loss of taste or smell.
• It is not necessary to conduct on site temperature measurement. If you measure temperatures, use a no-touch thermometer, and do not allow anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher to remain onsite.
• If an attendee is found to have COVID-19 infection within 14 days after the ceremony, contact the Health Department at (215) 685-5488 to report the potential exposure of other guests.
• Keep a record of all guests including their contact information for 14 days after the ceremony and share this information with public health authorities in the event that a COVID-19 case is detected.

Reduce crowds

• Distancing is still recommended. Encourage individuals to maintain 3 feet of distance between themselves and other individuals outside of their group.
  • Consider the use of distance markers, such as sidewalk decals, chalked or painted circles, or other visual cues to encourage members/clients to stay at least 3 feet apart
• Establish procedures to prevent crowding among persons waiting to use equipment or enter a classroom or other space.
• Adjust work assignments to ensure employees can stay at least 3 feet from each other throughout their shifts.
• For offices within the space, use Office guidance.
• If applicable, it is best practice for singers or musicians who play wind or brass instruments to be at least 6 feet from each other and audience members. Bell covers should be used on wind or brass instruments.

Handwashing

• Place handwashing stations or hand sanitizer at entry and outside communal bathrooms with prominent signage promoting use.
• Encourage frequent handwashing.

Clean

• Continue to follow all Department of Public Health food safety regulations.
• Wipe down high-touch surfaces with disinfectant regularly. See CDC guidance for details.

Ventilate

• If the event has activities indoors, increase ventilation in the building, if possible, by either:
  • Opening windows and/or doors on opposite sides of the venue hall and using fans to blow outside air through the hall OR
  • Optimizing ventilation provided by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by:
    • Having the HVAC system checked to assure that it is working properly. If it can be adjusted, the system should be set to provide at least 6 air exchanges per hour.
    • Maximizing the amount of outside air circulated by the system.
    • Installing filters with minimum efficiency reporting values (MERV) of 13, or the highest compatible with the filter rack.
    • Checking that the external air inlet duct is not blocked and that it is at least 15 feet from persons.

Communicate

• Educate staff and guests in advance about symptoms and prevention of COVID-19.
• Remind staff who are sick or have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 within the past 10 days to stay home and follow CDC quarantine guidelines​​​​​​​. Staff without any symptoms may end their quarantine period after:
  • Day 10 without testing
  • Day 7 after receiving a negative test result (lab-based or rapid) after day 5
• Encourage guests to download and turn on the COVID Alert PA app to help with contact tracing.
• Staff who have been fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine when exposed to someone with COVID-19 if they meet the following criteria:
  • They are fully vaccinated, and it’s been at least 2 weeks after the last dose in the vaccine series.
  • They have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure.
• Vaccination is not 100% effective.
  • Anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms should get tested.
  • Anyone who is positive for COVID-19 must isolate according to CDC guidelines.
  • After vaccination you must still wear a mask, keep your distance, and avoid crowds.
• Post prominent signs at entrances and in employee break rooms:
  • Encouraging all staff and guests to wear masks.
  • Encouraging physical distancing of at least 3 feet.
  • Asking people who are sick or have had contact with someone with COVID-19 within the past 10 days not to come to the establishment.
  • Encouraging people to cover coughs or sneezes.

See also:

• Order of the Secretary of Health Directing Building Safety Measures
• Order of the Secretary of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures
• Order of the Secretary of Health Providing Guidelines on Safe Gathering Limits
• PA Guidance for Businesses in the Restaurant Industry Permitted to Operate during the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency
• Restaurant and mobile food cart guidance
• Outdoor dining guidelines (PDF)
• Social gathering guidance
• Religious institution guidance
• Guidance to calculate your isolation and quarantine period (PDF)

• Text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to receive updates to your phone.
• If you have questions, call the Department of Public Health at (215) 685-5488.