MORE ON MASKS!!!

Is your COVID-19 mask working? If it’s a bandanna, maybe not much.
Tom Avril, Philadelphia Inquirer.

The shopper darts into a store, quickly tying on a bandanna or pulling up a shirt collar at the last minute. Enough to satisfy the overworked clerk who is tasked with enforcing COVID-19 mask requirements? Probably. But not so effective at preventing the spread of coronavirus, a new study suggests. The authors of the study did not use actual viruses or real people, but simulated coughing with a mannequin and a pump that sprayed a mixture of gelatin and water. The results, from engineers at Florida Atlantic University, were consistent with previous research, not to mention common sense: Not all masks are created equal.

More here.

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A user’s guide to masks: What’s best at protecting others (and yourself)
Maria Godoy, WHYY

So you want to wear a face mask? Good call.
A growing body of evidence supports the idea that wearing face masks in public, even when you feel well, can help curb the spread of the coronavirus — since people can spread the virus even without showing symptoms. That’s the main reason to wear a mask: to protect other people from you. Face masks can also offer the wearer some protection — though how much varies greatly, depending on the type of mask. No mask will offer full protection, and they should not be viewed as a replacement for physical distancing of at least 6 feet from others, frequent hand-washing and avoiding crowds. When you combine masks with those measures, they can make a big difference.

But what kind of mask is best? Read here.

Pennsylvania makes masks mandatory in all public spaces.

Rob Tornoe, Philadelphia Inquirer.

The new order, signed by Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, mandates that masks must be worn in public whenever anyone leaves home and can’t maintain a proper social distance from others. Children under the age of two are exempt from the mandate, as are people who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition.
More details here.

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Philly is in a modified ‘green’ phase now. Here’s what you can and can’t do
Emily Scott, WHYY

As coronavirus cases rise across the country, they’re rising in Philly too: the city is averaging more than 100 new cases a day, and about one-third of new cases reported are in people under the age of 30. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said on Thursday that the city is now experiencing a “second wave” of the coronavirus. The soonest Philly can now enter the unrestricted green phase is August 1, Farley said. And if cases continue to rise, it’s possible certain activities that are currently allowed may be off-limits.
More here.

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What the green phase means for Parks & Rec sites
Darren Fava, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

Philadelphia begins the green phase of reopening in early July. COVID-19 is not gone, so we must reopen with care. Read more about our progress on the Reopening With Care site.

Here’s what the reopening guidance means for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation services and sites: