Philadelphia and the surrounding counties will be moving into the 'yellow' phase of the state's coronavirus COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday, June 5, despite the protests and civil unrest throughout the area the past week. Philadelphia officials announced on Thursday that the city will allow for the partial reopening of the economy. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, "The numbers justify us to moving to the next phase of our response to this epidemic." Last week, Mayor Jim Kenney unveiled a 'Safer At Home' plan for Philadelphia to follow in the 'yellow' phase. There have been some concerns during this week's demonstrations that there could be a resurgence of the virus after 1000s of people have gathered day after day. It could take up to 14 days to see any increase in new cases.
The 'yellow phase' allows for some retail businesses to reopen to in-person services while observing health guidelines, the stay-at-home orders are lifted in favor of aggressive mitigation, and child care can resume. Large gatherings over 25 people are still banned and gyms, spas, movies, theaters, salons, and other entertainment venues are still closed. Bars and restaurants are still restricted to take-out, delivery, and outdoor dining. Remote working is encouraged were feasible. Philadelphia's plan still restricts any size gathering and guidance for outdoor dining has not been released.
Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Norristown, Montgomery County, on Thursday, 6/4, calling for the resignation of Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale. Gale released a statement on Monday, 6/1, titled "Riots and Looting in Philadelphia" where he criticized the protests and destruction happening in the city.
"What we saw this weekend in Philadelphia was not a protest -- it was a riot," Gale wrote. "The perpetrators of this urban domestic terror are radical left-wing hate groups like Black Lives Matter. This organization, in particular, screams racism not to expose bigotry and injustice, but to justify the lawless destruction of our cities and surrounding communities. Their objective is to unleash chaos and mayhem without consequence by falsely claiming they, in fact, are the victims."
Several people are calling for Gale to resign, including 76er Tobias Harris. There is a change.org petition for him to step down. Gale has said that he stands by his statement and will not resign.
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