The city is lifting some more coronavirus restrictions imposed on businesses on Nov. 20 due to a spike in new cases. Starting this Saturday, Jan. 16, limited indoor dining at restaurants is allowed to resume. Restaurants can reopen at 25 percent capacity and are allowed to seat only up to four people from the same household at one table. Indoor catering events and entertainment are still not allowed.

“Everyone must wear a mask at all times, especially when they are sitting and eating,” Philadelphia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said on Tuesday when announcing loosening of indoor dining restrictions. Here’s what this means:  Continue Reading

Mariposa Food Co-op (Archived photo).

More West Philly and University City shops have reopened in recent weeks or are reopening soon as Philadelphia has been slowly reopening under the Green coronavirus reopening phase. Restaurants have also begun reopening their indoor space. Check out some business news and updates below.

• Gift shop VIX Emporium (50th and Baltimore) is reopening to customers for in-person shopping this Saturday, Sept. 12 with COVID-19 safety protocols. The store will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will offer private shopping appointments on Wednesdays (you can book an appointment for yourself and two guests here; a $10 deposit will be credited toward your purchase).  Continue Reading

Starting today, Philadelphia restaurants can offer limited indoor dining to customers, in addition to outdoor dining and takeout/delivery options. Restaurants are now allowed to seat guests inside at 25 percent capacity, according to a new regulation by the City, and have to follow strict social distancing and other COVID-19 safety rules.

Many city restaurants have been preparing for socially distanced indoor dining – separating tables at least six feet apart and installing barriers. Here are other rules that restaurants have to follow if they want to reopen indoor dining:

• The maximum of four diners per table is allowed.

• Servers must wear both masks and face shields for additional protection.

• Bar service is not allowed. Alcohol can be served when in the same transaction as a meal.

• Food establishments are required to be closed for service by midnight.

• Restaurants must install physical barriers in restaurant kitchens and at cash registers and food pick up areas where maintaining physical distance of at least six feet is difficult.

• Restaurants must screen every employee for symptoms before every shift and prevent them from remaining on-site if they have any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.

Check out the video below for more information:

Re-opening of indoor dining in Philadelphia has been postponed until at least Sept. 1 due to COVID-19 concerns, according to an announcement by Philadelphia health officials made on Tuesday.

Philadelphia is currently in a modified Green re-opening phase with outdoor dining allowed. Indoor dining was expected to reopen in the city by the beginning of August, however the number of new coronavirus cases has increased in the past two weeks.

Some 142 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 were announced in Philadelphia on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 29,945.  Continue Reading

As was expected, the City of Philadelphia has postponed the Green coronavirus re-opening phase, which had been tentatively planned for July 3, after an uptick in new COVID-19 cases was reported in the city late last week. The new tentative date for the beginning of the Green phase, which includes indoor dining at restaurants and re-opening of gyms and fitness centers, is August 1st, according to City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

This Friday, the City will allow re-opening of libraries, museums, shopping malls and casinos, as part of a “modified restricted Green phase,” but no food or drinks will be allowed indoors.

Businesses that re-opened on June 26 – barber shops, salons and spas, as well as residential and private swimming pools – will remain open. Outdoor dining at restaurants will also continue to operate.  Continue Reading