PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 494 additional presumptive confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 5,271. 

The Department of Public Health again noted clusters of positive cases in congregate settings, including nursing homes, behavioral health facilities, and the Department of Prisons. One additional inmate has tested positive, bringing the total to 61. 

The Health Department confirmed 26 additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 104. 44 of the 104 deaths are in long-term care facility residents. 66 (63%) of the 104 deaths were in people over age 70.

The Department of Public Health reports 630 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 1,123 people hospitalized in the region (including Philadelphia).

Mayor Kenney, in his comments, noted the number of confirmed cases in the City has passed the 5,000 threshold. “This milestone comes only a few short weeks after our first confirmed case,” said the Mayor. “It is evidence of the speed with which this virus can spread, and evidence of the difficulty of slowing its spread. Let this be a reminder that we are not, by any means, out of the woods—and that all of the precautions we’ve been taking need to continue. These have been difficult times, but together, safely apart, we can keep each other healthy.”

There are also more than 20 private testing sites across the city run by hospital systems and other organizations. 

Supplies Delivered: The Mayor also noted that the Office of Emergency Management, working in conjunction with the Department of Public Health and other departments, has delivered nearly 100,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to hospitals and City departments.

In all, 97,934 PPE items have been or are being delivered:

  • The first round of deliveries, to 15 hospitals, was a total of 3,890 N95 masks from donated supplies on March 30.
  • A second round was delivered to 15 City departments for employees. This delivery was of nearly 13,000 items, all cloth masks and hand sanitizer that were either locally manufactured or were commercially produced items purchased by the City.
  • Today and tomorrow, 81,274 items (mix of face shields, gowns, gloves, procedure/surgical masks) are being delivered to 55 long-term care facilities. This includes supplies from the federal Strategic National stockpile as well as donations. Distribution is based on their capacities and their responses to a Philadelphia Department of Public Health supply survey earlier in the week.
  • City employees from other departments, including the Bridge maintenance division of Streets, CLIP and the Fire Department, are making these deliveries from the Office of Emergency Management warehouse.

Philly 311 will be open extended hours this weekend. The City’s non-emergency contact center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m on Friday, April 10, Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12. Residents can place a service request by calling 3-1-1, dialing (215) 686-8686, or through submitting service requests online. Language translation services are available.

COVID-19 Community Response Captain Program: Philly Counts, the City’s effort to support the next United States Census, today launched the COVID-19 Community Response Captain Program. This program follows a similar structure to the Census Champion program that launched in September 2019. Through this organizing strategy, Philly Counts successfully trained more than 8,000 people who were able to return to their communities as a trusted source of information and support.

The daily virtual Community Response Captain Program trainings will include updated COVID-19 information, a comprehensive resource guide, and steps for community action in English, Spanish, French and Chinese. Upon completing the training, COVID-19 Community Response Captains will be able to relay the most accurate and updated information to their peers, and provide support when needed. Members of the public can choose the session that works best for them based on time and language using the list of events available at phila.gov/census.

Temporary change in student meal distribution: The School District’s 49 student meal distribution sites will be closed on Monday, April 13. Meals that would have been distributed Monday, April 13, will be available instead on Tuesday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to noon.

This is a temporary schedule change due to the City and School District’s observance of Good Friday, which alters the meal packing schedule.

The usual Monday and Thursday distribution schedule will resume on Thursday, April 16. Please note: The 40 City-supported food sites will remain open on Monday, April 13.

Testing Sites: The testing site at Citizens Bank Park is closed today, Thursday, April 9, because of high winds. It will be open tomorrow, April 10, weather permitting, until 6 p.m. Friday, April 10 will mark the final day of operation for the site. Remaining testing kits will be redistributed to other sites to expand their capacity, and any personal protective equipment (PPE) will be used to support hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The City-run location in Center City, announced last week, will continue to serve those who are over the age of 50 and are displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 coronavirus, as well as health care workers who are displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 coronavirus. The site is available by appointment only and a referral is required. Those who meet the criteria and want a test can call (267) 491-5870 to obtain a referral.

There are also more than 20 private testing sites across the city run by hospital systems and other organizations.

COVID-19 Resources:

Resources for Media:

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