Philadelphia officials announce new, stricter COVID-19 restrictions through 2021

Indoor dining and group gatherings will be prohibited starting Friday.

ByJulia Jacobo
November 16, 2020, 6:18 PM

City officials in Philadelphia will implement a series of new, stricter measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the number of cases continues to rise.

Indoor dining has been prohibited, but takeout and delivery service may continue, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley announced in a press briefing Monday.

Outdoor dining is still allowed but diners must be household members only, and the maximum table size is four seats.

Indoor gatherings of any size in any setting will be prohibited, including both public and private events. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 10% occupancy or 10 persons per 1,000 square feet with a cap of no more than 2,000 people in large spaces, and masks must be worn at all times.

Neither food or beverages are to be served at outdoor gatherings, to ensure people can wear masks.

PHOTO: Cars line up for COVID-19 testing at a drive-through test site set up in the parking lot of Citizen Bank Park in South Philadelphia, March 26, 2020.
Cars line up for COVID-19 testing at a drive-through test site set up in the parking lot of Citizen Bank Park in South Philadelphia, March 26, 2020.
Cory Clark/NurPhoto via Getty Images, FILE

Retail stores may remain open with a reduced density limit of five people per 1,000 square feet, and customers and employees must wear masks.

Employees must also work from home unless it is not possible.

There will also be no attendance permitted at football games.

Philadelphia ABC station WPVI has more details regarding restrictions on additional businesses, schools, and religious services.

PHOTO: RN Treva Rivers puts a specimen into a bag after administering a COVID-19 test in Reading, Oct. 13, 2020.
RN Treva Rivers puts a specimen into a bag after administering a COVID-19 test in Reading, Oct. 13, 2020.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images, FILE

The restrictions go into effect on Friday and last through Jan. 1.

The city currently has an infection rate of about 660 new cases per day, WPVI reported.

Philadelphia is currently labeled as having a "high risk of community transmission," with 55,302 confirmed cases and 1,917 deaths, according to the city's Department of Public Health.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced a total of 9,675 new positive cases in the state for Sunday and Monday, adding to the state's total of 269,613 positive cases. The state also has a total of 9,325 deaths.

After the vote count in Pennsylvania decided the results of the presidential election, Philadelphia health officials urged post-election partiers to get COVID-19 tests in response to crowds seen celebrating in the streets.

PHOTO: A sign reading "Free COVID-19 Testing" at a state-run free COVID-19 testing site setup in Reading, PA, Oct. 13, 2020.
A sign reading "Free COVID-19 Testing" at a state-run free COVID-19 testing site setup in Reading, PA, Oct. 13, 2020.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

City officials then announced that they would consider restricting additional activities to combat the rising number of cases, but emphasized that the biggest threat remains small private gatherings.

ABC News' Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.