Get Tested For COVID-19 If You Celebrated or Protested The Election in a Crowd, Philly Officials Say

Many celebrated or protested the results of the election on Saturday by taking to the streets in Philadelphia and across our area.

And now health officials are reminding those who celebrated to get tested for COVID-19 later this week as little social distancing was taking place.

In fact, it's estimated that several thousand people crowded into the streets of Philadelphia to celebrate the results of the election after most television networks called the election in favor of Joe Biden midday Saturday.

Crowds were seen mostly wearing masks over the weekend as they assembled across the city (from Broad Street to Independence Mall to City Hall and beyond). At the same time, more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported across Pennsylvania on Saturday.

So as COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the area (and the globe) officials are urging all to get tested for COVID-19. If you were outside in a crowd on Saturday, you should get tested seven days later.

"The recommendation we are making now is that if people are close to other people outside they should be tested seven days later to make sure they haven't picked up the virus. And in the meantime, they should be staying away from other people," Philadelphia's Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told 6-ABC on Saturday.

Officials from other cities, including Washington, D.C., shared the same message this weekend. In fact, the city's mayor Muriel Bowser joked on Twitter that "lines may be a bit longer this week so plan ahead but we’ll work hard to get you results faster than a national election result."

If you need to get tested in our area, here are some links from local officials:

• PHILADELPHIA: COVID-19 Testing
  
• NEW JERSEY: COVID-19 Testing
• BUCKS COUNTY: COVID-19 Testing