More and more Philadelphia citizens seem to be dressed in masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the newest evidence from the Department of Health shows that the city’s mitigation efforts are working.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said Tuesday that Philadelphia had recorded its lowest number of cases since the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in mid-April.
In the week ended last Saturday, August 22, Philadelphia recorded an average of 98 new instances consistent with the day, with a check positivity rate of 3.4%. In the last week, those figures were 125 new instances consistent with the day and a check positivity rate of 4.1%.
In mid-April, the city’s average seven-day was 477 instances consistent with the day.
Farley recognized the city’s continued progress in fulfilling Philadelphia’s mask mandate and other mitigation efforts across the state and the country.
In Pennsylvania as a whole, the number of cases has decreased in the last 4 weeks.
“That’s when Governor Wolf signed his selective mitigation order, which closed bars and limited enclosed spaces and meetings,” Farley said. “I think those two are related.”
In recent months, the Philadelphia Department of Health has overseen mask compliance by tracking SEPTA stations and retail stores. SEPTA’s knowledge has been compromised in recent weeks due to authority’s computer disorders, an obvious malware attack, however, the fitness branch has continued to watch citizens leave retail stores.
During the following week, the use of masks has increased to 88%, compared to 77% in the following week and as low as 58% in the week around July 4, when SEPTA knowledge was still included.
“Obviously it’s a trend in the right direction,” Farley said. “We’re not at 90%, but we have to be at 90%.”
As Philadelphia prepares to reopen limited indoor restaurants on September 8, Farley said the city’s progress is important, but should not be taken for granted.
“This improvement in the epidemic is not inevitable,” Farley said. “In fact, in Europe right now, case rates are rising. Surprisingly, Philadelphia now has lower infection rates than Spain or France. The lesson is that we will have to stick to the protective instructions, especially the masks. If we don’t comply with them, protection guidelines, this virus can obviously come back.”
Philadelphia reported 85 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the city’s total to 33139. No new deaths were reported. The death toll stands at 1,736,867 citizens of nursing homes.
As the Philadelphia School District prepares to start the school year remotely, the city is now recruiting vulnerable students who can attend 32 virtual learning centers.
“These are not places without an appointment. Pre-registration is required and the site’s ability is limited to meet fitness and protection guidelines,” the city said in a statement. “Priority will be given to young guardians who have to paint outside the house and who cannot provide or other child care options.
Families who wish to enroll in the centers can receive more information about eligibility, view a site plan, and a complete form of interest online. Those who wish to help complete the form can call (215) 709-5366.
The centres will be open to academics registered on 8 September.
K-12 student families without broadband Internet can now contact United Way Hotline 211 for an overview of the city’s PHLConnectED program, a collaborative effort to connect low-income K-12 homes with internet and virtual learning devices.
“We are excited to launch the PHLConnectED hotline and prepare our students for virtual learning,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “We know that many families want access to the Internet, so we look forward to starting to connect them as temporarily as possible. PHLConnectED is a step in bridging the virtual divide in Philadelphia.”
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