“As of today, we no longer need our city’s dining establishments to check vaccines,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole announced Wednesday.

Bettigole said the mandate, which went into effect in January and made it mandatory for patrons to be vaccinated in order to enter, was hard on restaurants and places of entertainment.

“But the work those establishments have done has helped to decrease transmission and to increase vaccination rates in the city,” Bettigole said.

Bettigole said the change for dining establishments comes as the Department of Public Health developed four COVID-19 response levels.

“The new response levels are based on case counts, positivity, hospitalizations and the rate in change of cases,” Bettigole explained. “They will provide transparency in to what city residents and business owners can expect going forward.”

There are four levels of response: “All Clear,” “Mask Precautions Only,” “Caution” and “Extreme Caution.”

Bettigole said case rates are dropping everywhere, but they are dropping “farther and faster” in Philadelphia than in many other parts of the state and country.

Based on Wednesday’s metric, Philadelphia has just entered Level 2, the “Mask Precautions Only” level, meaning, as stated above, the vaccine requirement for people entering establishments that serve food or drink is no longer in effect. In this level, masks are still required in indoor public places.

Here is a further breakdown of each COVID-19 Response Level:

Criteria for COVID-19 response levels

The response levels are triggered by meeting the following thresholds (the lowest level for which the city meets metrics will apply):

Level 4: Extreme Caution

• Two or more of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is 500 or more.
Hospitalizations are 500 or more.
Percent positivity is 10% or more.
Cases have risen by more than 50% in the previous 10 days.

Level 3: Caution

• Three or more of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 500.
Hospitalizations are under 500.
Percent positivity is under 10%.
Cases have not risen by more than 50% in the previous 10 days.

Level 2: Mask Precautions

• Three or more of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 225 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC’s “high” and “substantial” levels of transmission).
Hospitalizations are under 100.
Percent positivity is under 5%.
Cases have not risen by more than 50% in the previous 10 days.

Level 1: All Clear

• Three or more of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 100 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC’s “substantial” and “moderate” levels of transmission).
Hospitalizations are under 50.
Percent positivity is under 2%.
Cases have not risen by more than 50% in the previous 10 days.

Mandates for COVID-19 response levels

Level 4: Extreme Caution

Proof of vaccination required for places that serve food or drink.
Masks required in indoor public places.

Level 3: Caution

Proof of vaccination or negative test within 24 hours (acceptable tests include lab or onsite testing, not home tests) for places that serve food or drink.
Masks required in indoor public places.

Level 2: Mask Precautions

No vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink.
Masks required in indoor public places.

Level 1: All Clear

No vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink.
No mask requirement (except in schools, healthcare institutions, congregate settings, and on public transportation; see “other situations,” below).

What the COVID-19 response levels mean for you

The City says by understanding the current level of risk, you will know how to best protect yourself and others and follow the City’s mandates.

When the City is in Level 4 (Extreme Caution):
You will need to present proof that you’re fully vaccinated to eat indoors.
You will need to wear a mask while in indoor public places.

When the City is in Level 3 (Caution):
You will need to present proof that you’re fully vaccinated or a have negative test from a lab or that is administered onsite to eat indoors.
You will need to wear a mask while in indoor public places.

When the City is in Level 2 (Mask Precautions):
You will need to wear a mask while in indoor public places.

When the City is in Level 1 (All Clear):
No COVID-19 mandates will be enforced.

Other Situations

The city said some COVID-19 restrictions have been instituted in certain higher-risk settings like schools and large events. These settings will work differently than the rest of the city in many cases.

Schools and early childhood education settings will continue to require 100% masking. The Health Department is discussing what that looks like if the City moves to Level 1 (All Clear).

Healthcare settings will continue to require masks under federal guidance.

Public transit will continue to require masks under federal guidance.

Large outdoor events, like concerts and races, with more than 1,000 people will require and check vaccine status during Level 4 (Extreme Caution), will require and check either vaccine status or have a negative test during Level 3 (Caution), and will have no restrictions during Level 2 (Mask Precautions) or Level 1 (All Clear).

College and university food and dining halls are covered by the City’s Institutions of Higher Education mandate and are not covered by the City’s COVID-19 response levels.

“The tiered system is about time,” said Ben Fileccia with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. “From the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been asking for some type of metrics… now we can actually look at the data, we can look at hospitalizations, we can look at positivity rates, and see for ourselves if we’re trending in the right direction for these mandates to be lifted.”

After meeting last week with the city’s Department of Public Health, Ed Grose, president of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, expected good news from the city.

“What they told us is they were going to start a process of rolling back the mandates based on the number of cases, and there’s a list of four criteria in each rollback. We’re very pleased (health commissioner) Dr. Bettigole and her team take the time to listen to us,” said Grose.

SEE ALSO: Philadelphia firefighters union sues city over COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Restaurant owner Shane Dodd of the Fairview in Fairmount said he was excited about the possibility of getting one step closer to normal.

“People are cautious and anything that lifts those restrictions and makes people feel a little more confident going out is obviously beneficial for business,” said Dodd.

Incentive for Vaccination

“When the vaccine mandate was announced, we were in the midst of the omicron wave and only 27.5% of Philadelphia’s children ages 5 to 11 had had a first dose of the COVID vaccine, slightly ahead of the national level,” Bettigole said, adding, “today cases are dropping rapidly and 53.1% of the city’s 5 to 11 have had their first dose of vaccine compared to 31.8% nationally. A huge jump forward although more work needs to be done.”

Beginning this week at health department community clinics, Philadelphians who complete their primary COVID vaccine series will receive $100 funded through a grant from the CDC.

Bettigole said people can receive the funds through a digital app a few days after or a physical gift card by mail in a couple of weeks.

“If you’ve been trying to get motivated to get your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, this is your moment,” Bettigole said.

A list of clinics will be available at https://www.phila.gov/covid. The program is scheduled to run for six weeks.