PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 928 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 86,723. In addition, the Department of Public Health also announced 97 new probable cases from rapid antigen tests.

The Department of Public Health confirmed 89 additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 2,312. Of the 2,312 total deaths, 989 (43%) were long-term care facility residents. The large number of newly reported fatalities represents previously unidentified cases that were added as a result of data matching from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The Department of Public Health reports 815 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 138 on ventilators.

Update on “Safer at Home” Restrictions and Future Plans: Philadelphia’s current “Safer at Home” restrictions were to be implemented through at least January 1, and the Commonwealth’s latest restrictions are set to expire at 8 a.m. on the morning of January 4. Based on the data and spikes in positive cases following past holidays, the City will continue its current restrictions for the riskiest settings through at least January 15. This includes restrictions on:

  • Indoor dining
  • Indoor gatherings and events
  • Theaters
  • Casinos
  • Colleges
  • Indoor organized sports

These activities continue to be considered higher risk because they take place indoors and involve a large number of people, people spending long periods of time together, people not wearing masks, and/or they’ve had previous large outbreaks due to not following social distance guidelines.

“We have made progress and saved lives with our Safer at Home restrictions,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “Now we need to be very careful with how we allow activities to restart—especially around the holiday season—so that we don’t ignite another surge in the virus.”

In order to provide adequate lead time for businesses, the City today also announced planned changes to restrictions that would take effect when Governor Wolf’s order, which unless it is extended, expires on January 4. If case rates do not rise more than expected, the City will allow some lower risk businesses and activities to resume. This includes:

  • Museums
  • Outdoor sports
  • Gyms
  • In-person learning for high schools
  • Outdoor catered events

For any indoor activities resuming on January 4, masks must be worn at all times and density will be limited to fewer than five persons per 1,000 square feet.

Food Site Update: Due to the holidays, the regular schedule for many upcoming food and meal distributions has changed.

The School District of Philadelphia will be closed for food distribution on Friday, December 25. Students and caregivers can instead pick up student meals for the week on Wednesday, December 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meal sites can be found at phila.gov/food.

Many of the weekly food distribution sites will be closed on Thursday, December 24 and Thursday, December 31. Families can instead pick up food at one of 70+ distributions between December 21 and December 30, thanks to support from Share Food Program and Philabundance.

Outdoor meal sites will be closed for meal distribution on December 24 and 25, and on January 1. Individuals can instead find an outdoor meal site on those dates at phila.gov/food.

For information about food pantries and other food resources, families can visit phila.gov/food or call 311 for assistance.

Boathouse Row Holiday Lightings: Similar to the celebration hosted for Hanukkah on December 10, the City will hold virtual ceremonies to accompany the lightings of Boathouse Row in honor of Christmas on Tuesday, December 22 and Kwanzaa on Saturday, December 26. The virtual holiday lightings are organized by the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, led by Director for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs Rev. Naomi Washington Leapheart, and in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Office of the City Representative.

Testing Site Map: A testing site finder at phila.gov/testing helps people find a free COVID-19 test in Philadelphia. Anyone can search for a site by address, click on a map location for specific site information, and filter by day of week and by drive-thru or walk-up.

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