Reopening Philadelphia: Mayor Kenney Says 'No Restaurant Should Be Announcing Plans To Launch Outdoor Dining On June 5'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has pumped the breaks on restaurants resuming outdoor dining right away when the city moves into the yellow phase of Pennsylvania's reopening plan. This comes after Gov. Tom Wolf's administration announced Wednesday that restaurants will be allowed to provide outdoor dining for customers, beginning June 5.
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During Thursday's briefing, Kenney says the city is still evaluating how outdoor dining will be implemented during the yellow phase and is "not giving the green light to move forward until the guidance is complete."
"In the meantime, no restaurant should be announcing plans to launch outdoor dining on June 5. We need you to wait to ensure that our protocols can be followed. Outdoor dining done properly in the midst of a pandemic is extremely complicated," Kenney said, adding that they're hoping to put forward guidance next week.
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Kenney says some restaurants were already posting signs and ads announcing their plans.
"Believe me, I'm as anxious as all of you to once again enjoy the great food that Philadelphia restaurants have to offer, but we need to ensure this is done properly," the mayor said.
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Kenney added the city will release guidelines on Friday for residents, visitors and businesses as the city is expected to move into the yellow phase on June 5.
Meanwhile, the city reported 175 new cases on Thursday, bringing the citywide total to 22,150. Ten more people also died from the virus, raising Philly's death toll to 1,258.