Philadelphia mask mandate

Philadelphia’s mask mandate went into effect on August 12, 2021 to combat the COVID-19 emergency in Philadelphia.

• Masks will be required indoors at all Philadelphia theaters and other venues.
• Theaters and other venues that require vaccination for all employees, performers, and patrons are exempted from having a mask requirement.
• Theaters and other venues that do not require everyone who enters to be vaccinated, must require everyone on site to wear a mask, including staff and performers, except:
  • When actively eating and drinking while seated or at a standing table of no more than four people. Individuals not seated or at a table may not eat/drink.
  • When the performer is fully vaccinated AND a distance of 12 feet between performer and audience can be maintained at all times throughout the performance, the performer may be unmasked. Audience must remain masked.
• If an unvaccinated individual is present, everyone in the venue must be masked no matter the reason the person is unvaccinated (i.e., medical/religious exemption or age). When an unvaccinated person is present, the only exceptions for unmasking are those regarding eating/drinking and vaccinated unmasked performer(s) detailed above.

Communicate

• Once you’ve decided how your venue will comply with the mask mandate, create a plan to communicate to audience members, staff, and performers in advance to give them time to prepare to enter/frequent your venue.
• Communication such as signage and announcements will also help patrons understand how to keep themselves safe while visiting your establishment. See Health Department posters on masking and vaccination requirements.
• Display signs about special events/hours (see below: Designating “special” events/hours).

Proof of vaccination

If you require that audience members, staff, and performers provide proof of vaccination:

• Determine procedures for checking vaccination status.
• Read more about ways to check for proof of vaccination (PDF).
• Ensure that staff and customers are asked about vaccination in a respectful manner and consistent with applicable privacy laws and standards. Businesses and institutions must obey all applicable local, state, tribal, and territorial laws, regulations, and rules as they consider whether to confirm COVID-19 vaccination status.

Masking

If your establishment will not be vaccination-only:

• Attendees and staff must be masked at all times while at the event:
  • Except when actively eating and drinking while seated or at a standing table of no more than four people. Individuals not seated or at a table may not eat/drink.
  • When the performer is fully vaccinated AND a distance of 12 feet between performer and audience can be maintained at all times throughout the performance, the performer may be unmasked. Audience must remain masked.
• Create a plan for how you will ensure masking in your establishment.
• Consider having masks on hand to distribute to customers/audience members/performers who do not have a mask upon entry or whose mask has gotten lost or damaged.
• Create prominent signage to remind audience members to remain masked unless actively eating or drinking while seated or at a standing table of no more than four people, if this is applicable to your establishment. See Health Department posters on masking and vaccination requirements.
• Display signs about special events/hours (see below: Designating “special” events/hours).
• Consider utilizing staff to remind audience members to properly mask while on site. Train staff to remind patrons in a respectful manner. Read Health Department tips for asking patrons to mask (PDF).

Designating “special” events/hours

• If your venue does not require audience members/staff/performers to be vaccinated, you may choose to host a vaccinated-only event, or determine specific hours when your business is open to vaccinated patrons only. The designated hours of operation should be distinct so there is never a question as to whether someone who is unmasked is vaccinated or not. Staff for these designated events/hours must also be vaccinated.
• Alternatively, if your establishment is open to vaccinated audience members/staff/performers only, you may choose to host an all-masked event, or all-masked hours where patrons who are unvaccinated can enter the establishment. Everyone, including staff, must be masked regardless of vaccination status.
• Read more about general prevention strategies.
• Follow Office guidance and Restaurant and mobile food cart guidance if there are offices or a restaurant(s) within your establishment.
• If you have questions or concerns, contact the Health Department by calling: 215-685-5488 or emailing: covid@phila.gov.

Contact tracing and general prevention strategies

• Businesses and institutions should keep a dated contact list of all unmasked patrons for 14 days to help with contact tracing, if needed.
• If an employee develops COVID-19 infection or has a positive test, businesses and other organizations must take additional precautions to stop the virus from spreading further. See “What to Do If Someone Tests Positive for COVID-19 At Work” for an employer resource. To report illness, contact PDPH by calling: 215-685-5488 or emailing: covid@phila.gov.
• Businesses are required to allow employees to isolate or quarantine or to care for family members who need to isolate or quarantine and cannot take an adverse employment action against that employee for doing so. See the City’s “Anti-Retaliation” law
• Read about general prevention strategies.
• Follow Office guidance and Restaurant guidance if there are offices or a restaurant(s) within your establishment.
• If you have questions or concerns, contact PDPH by calling: 215-685-5488 or emailing: covid@phila.gov.

See also

• Mask mandate regulation and other COVID-19 emergency orders
• Calculating 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.