Mayor Jim Kenney announced Thursday that the City of Philadelphia is launching a citywide “Mask Up” campaign to remind residents to wear masks in public. The campaign will involve digital ads, ads on buses, floor decals, and other images in different locations around the city. The Mayor stated that the campaign’s two slogans, “Love your neighbor, wear a mask” and “Philly never backs down, mask up” will hopefully serve as a reminder to residents that wearing a mask not only protects them but shows consideration for others in their community.
The Department of Public Health announced 159 new cases of COVID-19 in Philadelphia, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 27,288. Over the past week, the city has averaged 115 new cases per day. Two additional COVID-19 deaths have been recorded, bringing the city’s total fatalities to 1,627.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley encouraged residents to follow the city’s “Safe Mode” guidelines, which include steps people can take to keep themselves and others safe from COVID-19. Some of these guidelines include active social distancing, reducing crowds, avoiding social events, and the use of masks.
In a survey conducted by city officials, three quarters of Philadelphians polled stated that every person needs to wear masks every time they are in public, leaving one fourth uncertain or opposed to mask usage. In similar findings from late June, 55 percent of people were wearing masks at SEPTA stations and 78 percent of people were wearing masks exiting retail establishments. Mayor Kenney and the Department of Public Health hope to increase these numbers through the “Mask Up” campaign, attributing residents’ uncertainty to inconsistent messages about mask usage on the federal level.
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