Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press

Philadelphia health officials say they’re ending the city’s indoor mask mandate, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections. The Board of Health voted Thursday to rescind the mandate. That’s according to the Philadelphia health department, which released a statement that cited “decreasing hospitalizations and a leveling of case counts.” The health department did not release data to back up its reversal on masking, saying more information would be provided Friday. Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate, but faced fierce blowback as well as a legal effort to get the mandate thrown out.