PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia's return to indoor masking on Monday has drawn as many different reactions as there are new variants of the coronavirus.
Relief among those concerned about the recent rise in cases of COVID-19. Grudging acceptance from others. And resentment among those who see the move as overcautious and arbitrary. Over the weekend, several businesses and residents filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court challenging the city's right to impose the mandate.
Though the city is an outlier among major metropolitan areas in bringing back masks, the decision did not come out of nowhere. It is based on benchmarks set by city health officials in February — with levels of caution triggered by the number of cases, how fast they are rising or falling, and hospitalizations.
