Covid
Penn drops indoor mask mandate following change in City of Philadelphia guidance
The change in COVID-19 masking policy came five days after Penn and the City of Philadelphia began enforcing an indoor mask mandate in non-classroom settings.
Penn’s COVID-19 case count reaches over 800, marking 13-week high
Administrators wrote on the COVID-19 Dashboard that new transmissions continue to be primarily associated with social gatherings, such as parties, and household exposures.
Philadelphia to restart wastewater testing initiative
Samples from three wastewater sites will be collected twice a week, with plans for additional collection locations throughout the city to help officials more effectively monitor COVID-19 in specific populations.
Mask mandates return across the country amid increase in COVID-19 cases
This trend toward indoor masking arrives as the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant has become the dominant version of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Penn reinstates indoor mask mandate as COVID-19 cases surge on campus
Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the decision to reinstall the indoor mask mandate is simply a response to a trend.
Penn tells students with COVID-19 to isolate in place as it nears capacity in isolation housing
Executive Director for Public Health and Wellbeing Ashlee Halbritter also said that Penn is preparing an isolation housing portfolio expansion by using additional University-owned properties and apartments.
Philadelphia reinstates indoor mask mandate amid rising COVID-19 cases
The reinstatement of the mandate will take effect on April 18 to give businesses a one-week “educational period” to adjust. Penn has not yet announced plans to reintroduce indoor masking.
Philadelphia may reinstate indoor mask mandate
Officials from the Philadelphia Department of Health have said that the city's COVID-19 response level could move from Level 1 to 2 if cases continue to rise.
Wendell Pritchett: The Philadelphia-born scholar’s trajectory to the Penn presidency
The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with 12 Penn community members and University leaders about the challenges that Penn currently faces under his leadership.
As COVID-19 cases increase around the city, Philadelphia encourages indoor masking
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said that while not required, the department of health recommends residents wear masks indoors and in public spaces.
Penn Population Studies Center hosts event on decline of mental health amid COVID-19 pandemic
The event featured researcher Eugenio Proto, a professor of applied economics and econometrics at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School.
Penn's COVID-19 case count nearly doubles, reaching eight-week high
Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé told The Daily Pennsylvanian that contact tracing efforts show that transmission remains heavily associated with social gatherings, such as formals, galas, and parties.
Wellness at Penn earns nation’s highest distinction for LGBTQ equality in health care
Wellness at Penn is one of only six college health centers nationwide awarded the distinction of LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader for 2022.
Undergraduate COVID-19 positivity rate increases to 6.87% largely due to social gatherings
Administrators wrote that the COVID-19 Dashboard reflects that “transmission remains primarily associated with social gatherings,” such as formals and galas.
Penn pauses plan to lift classroom mask mandate on Monday
Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the decision was implemented following consultations with “student and faculty stakeholders on campus.”
Students, professors report ‘very mixed feelings’ as Penn prepares to go mask optional in classes
While some students are excited about a return to normalcy, other students still have concerns for at-risk populations who are much more vulnerable to infection.
Phila. health department clarifies incorrect COVID-19 vaccine data resulted from a staff error
The department double-counted thousands of records on the city’s COVID-19 dashboard in a failure to discern the doses, resulting in a raw number significantly higher than the actual pediatric vaccination rate.
Penn drops mask mandate in most indoor settings, effective immediately
Community members will no longer be required to wear a mask in athletic facilities, libraries, residential halls, and dining halls.
Penn mulls lifting mask mandate as on-campus COVID-19 positivity rate remains low
Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé told the DP that the University is working in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia to determine whether it is safe to reverse the mask mandate.