PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported an additional 13,837 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Thursday, January 13. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 980,553, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to at least 1,237,683. Currently, 79 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and more than 95 percent* of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
All residents ages five and older are eligible to be vaccinated in Philadelphia. 33.1 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in Philadelphia have received at least one vaccine dose. Among eligible Philadelphians ages 12 and older, 73.1 percent are fully vaccinated, and 92.3 percent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Department of Health reports 1,337 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 113 on ventilators.
In the last two weeks, 17.3 percent of COVID-19 tests in Philadelphia have come back positive. Thus far during the pandemic, 259,162 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 4,356 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 1,658 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.
Philadelphia Surpasses 250,000 Booster Doses: 264,129 COVID-19 booster doses have been administered in Philadelphia since August 2021. Everyone 12 and over can be eligible for a booster dose. The Department of Public Health recently published a guide to booster eligibility to help Philadelphians stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccine.
Health Department’s New COVID-19 Guidance for Schools: On January 19, 2022, the Health Department released updated COVID-19 guidance for schools. This guidance was developed using the latest CDC guidance on masks and isolation and quarantine, with a lens into the reality of schools in Philadelphia. The new guidance offers several changes from previous versions of school guidance.
- Students and staff still need to wear masks, but the Health Department is recommending that they wear surgical or N95/equivalents if possible.
- Isolation and quarantine for students can be shortened, if the school can implement certain mitigation strategies.
- Contact tracing should be reserved for higher-risk exposures, such as during lunch.
- The Health Department will no longer use case counts to recommend a pause to in-person learning.
The full guidance can be found online on Phila.gov. A blog post further explaining the changes is also available online.
Philadelphians Can Now Order Free COVID-19 At-home Tests from the Federal Government: The Biden Administration has fulfilled their goal of offering members of the public the opportunity to request four free rapid at-home COVID-19 tests delivered to their home. Residents are encouraged to visit covidtests.gov to order their free COVID-19 tests. National news outlets have noted scam websites with similar names have already popped up. Residents should be careful to only go to the official website.
*Note: All vaccine administration percentages will be capped at 95 percent to account for U.S. Census estimates.
COVID-19 Resources:
- Where to get a COVID-19 vaccine: phila.gov/vaccine.
- Where to find COVID-19 testing: phila.gov/testing.
- City’s COVID-19 homepage: phila.gov/covid-19.
- Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 response.
- Greater Philadelphia Coronavirus Helpline: 1 (800) 722-7112.
- Health Department COVID Call Center: 215-685-5488.
- Residents can text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to get updates sent to their phones.
- The COVID Prevention and Response Fund is accepting donations to aid nonprofits and individuals that are supporting their community through the pandemic.
Resources for Media:
- COVID-19 briefings.
- Recordings of COVID-19 briefings (Subtitles available in multiple languages).
- COVID-19 press releases.