Philadelphia Officials Hold Coronavirus Response Briefing

Officials announced 339 new cases and five COVID-19 related deaths on Monday.

GOOD.AFTERNOON.MAYOR CAINE IS TOLD.MAYOR KENNEY.SHE CAME TO PHILADELPHIA ANDTEMPLE BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN TOLDTHAT THE FACILITY WE'VE IS ITYOUR SAD SHINING EXAMPLE A WELLPLANNED TEMPORARY HOSPITAL INTHE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC.HER VISIT IS A TESTAMENT TO HARDWORK AND EXPERIENCE, GREATNUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OUR OF THEACCIDENT OF EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT.THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND MANYOTHER PARTNERS, OF COURSE IT ISA TESTAMENT TO THE GENEROSITY OFTEMPLE UNIVERSITY, I THANKEDTHEM BEFORE FOR STEPPING UPALLOWING US THE YOUS OFLIACOURAS CENTER BUT I TRULY CANTHEY CAN THEM ENOUGH.AND LIEUTENANT RICHARDSON FORHER VISIT, AN IMPRESSIVEINDIVIDUAL.WE HOPE WHAT SHE SAW AND LEARNEDCAN HELP THE HUNDREDS OF OTHERCITIES TOWNS WITH MEDICALCAPACITY IS BEING TESTED BYCOVID 19.50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK,PHILADELPHIA ADDED TO ITS LONGHISTORY OF BEING A STEVE FIRSTS,BI HOSTING THE FIRST EARTH WEEK,AT FAIRMOUNT PARK'S BELMONTPLATEAU.THE FIRST EARTH WOKE WAS APEOPLE POWERED EFFORT AROUND THECOLLECTIVE CALL TO COMBATCLIMATE CHANGE, JUST LIKE THEFIRST EARTH WEEK ELEVATEDAWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANT OFOUR PLANET ITSELF, IN MANYWAYING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC ISELEVATING THE IMPORTANCE OFCARING FOR THE EARTH LOCALLY ANDNATIONALLY.LOCALLY RENEWED APPRECIATION OFPARKS, GARDENS TRAILS AND PUBLICSPACES AS ESSENTIAL SERVICESDEEPLY CONNECT TO DO PHYSICALHAND MENTAL HELEN.PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THE CITYOF PHILADELPHIA LIKE MANYORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD,PLAN ADD VARIETY OF COMMUNITYFOCUSEDED PROGRAMS TO CELEBRATE50 AND ANNIVERSARY OF EARTHWEEK.IN RESPONSE TO THE STAY AT HOMEORDER, THE SEATED PIVOTED FROMAN IN PERSON CELEBRATION FOR THE50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH WEEKTO VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING.THIS WEEK WEEK, ENCOURAGEEVERYONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OFTHE VIRTUAL EARTH WEEK EVENTS BYFOLLOW #EARTH WEEK PHL ON SOCIALMEDIA.FOR A FULL LIST OF EARTH WEEKSEVENTS ACTIVITIES AND WEBINARSPLEASE VISITPHILADELPHIA./GREEN.GOV/GREEN.I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FACT THATTHE CITY AND THE PHILADELPHIAINDUSTRIAL CORPORATION AWARDED$9.2 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANSFOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE COVID19 SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF FUND.THE FUNDING IS GOING TO 1,145BUSINESSES TO HELP CONTINUEOPERATIONS, MAINTAIN MY ROLLOBLIGATIONS AND PRESERVE JOBSIMPACTED BY THE SPREAD OF COVID19.THE BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE THEAWARD STRETCH ACROSSPHILADELPHIA WITH HALF LOW TOMODERATE INCOME.IN THOSE THAT REPORTEDIMMIGRATION 64 WENT TO ANDTELLER % TO WOMEN OWNED.FOOD AND HOSPITAL, PERSONALSERVICES RETAIL AND MANY MORE.ADDITIONAL 600 SMALL BUSINESSESARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AWARDSIN SECOND ROUND.WHICH WILL BE DECIDED OVER THENEXT TWO WEEKS.WE'LL BE SURE TO SHARE THE LISTOF ALL RECIPIENTS AT THAT TIME.PHILADELPHIA SMALL BUSINESSESARE THE BACKBONE OF YOUR CITY'SECONOMY AND HAVE BEEN SEVERELYIMPACTED BY THE COVID 19 CRISIS.SO I AM PLEASED THAT THROUGHTARRED PROGRAM, WE'RE ABLE TOSPREAD UNLIMIT RECORDS TO HELP ADIVERSE GROWN-UP OF MORE THAN1100 BUSINESSES IN 1100BUSINESSES IN NEIGHBORHOODSACROSS THE CITY.THESE LOANS WILL PROVIDE A MUCHNEEDED LIFE LINE TO SOME OF THEYHAVE NO NOW I TURN IT OVER TODOCTOR FARLEY FOR HIS DAILYREPORT.GOOD AFTERNOON.THE NEWS ON THE PANDEMIC ISMIXED WE'RE SEEING A LOWERNUMBER OF CASES AND DEATHS BUTWE'RE SEEING CONTINUED INCREASESIN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITHINFECTION IN THE CITY'SHOSPITALS.SO HERE'S MORE DETAILS.WITH IDENTIFIED 339 NEWPHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS WITH THECORONAVIRUS INFECTION, BRINGINGUS TO THE,553.THAT'S A NUMBER WE SHOULD BEWATCHING, IF THAT WERE THE CASE,THAT WOULD BE GOOD NEWS, CHECKOUT THE GRAPH ON OUR WEBSITE,WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEEINCLUSIVES OF THIS INFECTION INCONGET SETTINGS, NURSING HOMES,BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITIES,ANYPLACES WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLELIVE TOGETHER, AS WELL AS THEJAIL.UPDATE ON JAILS, 5600 POSITIVE,THREE NEW, BUT 300 HAVERECOVERED.THERE ARE ABOUT 3800 IN THECITY'S JAIL, SO 56 OUT OF 3800RIGHT NOW.THE NUMBER OF DEATHS WE'VEIDENTIFIED NEW SIPS THE LASTTIME WE SPOKE WAS FIVE, THAT'S ALOWER NUMBER WE HAD IN THE PAST.NO DEATHS IS SOMETHING WE WANTTO ACCEPT.BRINGING US TO A TOTAL OF 370DEATHS SINCE THE BEGINNING OFTHE PANDEMIC.OUR DATA ARRIVES IN BATCHES SOWE MAY SEE HIGHER NUMBERS INFUTURE DAYS, IF YOU WANT ABETTER SENSE CHECK ON YOU THEGRAPH OF MORTALITY ON OURWEBSITE.OF THE 370-193 OR 52% ARENURSING HOMES RESIDENTS.AS FAR AS THE CITY'S HOSPITALS,THE CASES THERE CONTINUES TOGROW.THIS MORNING, THERE WERE 923PATIENTS WITH CORONAVIRUSINFECTION IN CITY HOSPITALS AND1,737 IN THE HOSPITALSTHROUGHOUT THE PENNSYLVANIAREGION.THAT NUMBER STILL INCREASING.IN FACT, IT'S ABOUT DOUBLED INTHE PAST TWO WEEKS.SOME OF THE HOSPITALS IN REGIONARE NEAR CAPACITY AND SOME SHORTSON STAFF.SOME TRANSFERS CURB BETWEEN THEREGIONS, BALANCE OUT THE LOWSAND IF IT'S NECESSARY, THELIACOURAS CENTER, WHICH THEMAYOR TALKED ABOUT IS AVAILABLEAND READY TO HELP.LET'S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT ANDTALK ABOUT THE LIACOURAS CENTER.WHAT'S HAPPEN ASKED OVER THEPAST THREE WEEKS, MEDICALEXPERTS TO THAT ARE LOCAL ANDPEOPLE FROM THE OFFICE OFEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMEDAN ARENA INTO A FIELD HOSPITAL.SPECIFICALLY FOR PATIENTS WITHTHE CORONAVIRUS INFECTION PASTTHE WORST PHASE OF THEIR DISEASEBUT AREN'T READY TO GO HOME YET.THESE ARE PATIENTS WHO DON'TNEAT VENTILATORS BUT MEDICALSUPERVISION AND OXYGEN.THEY CAN STAY THERE UP TO FIVEDAYS, THE FACILITY IS STAFFED BYDOCTORS AND NURSES ANDRESPIRATORY THERAPIST, MELEXPERTS OF ALL TYPES, WHATEVERNEEDS THEY HAVE.THAT IS A COMBINATION OF MEDICALRESERVE CORP VOLUNTEERS THATWOULD BE MEDICAL STAFF FROMAROUND THE REGION VOLUNTEEREDAND AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENTED BYSTAFF FROM THE MILITARY AS YOUHEARD ABOUT EARLIER THE VISITFROM THE GENERAL.THE PATIENTS WILL GET 24 HOURCARE, MEDICATION, OXYGEN, ACCESSTO TESTING AS NEEDED.NOW, PATIENTS GET THERE, IF APHYSICIAN ANOTHER HOSPITAL THATIS UNDER STRAIN REQUESTS ATRANSFER.AND IT'S A GENERAL HOSPITAL ATOR NEAR CAPACITY OR HOSPITALSHORT STAFFED.TREATMENT STAFF FOR THEM TO TAKECARE OF SICKER PATIENTS TO STAYAT THAT HOSPITAL.IN ORDER FOR PATIENTS TO BETRANSFERRED THERE.THEY HAVE TO MEET THE MEDICALCRITERIA WHERE WE FEEL IT'S SAFEFOR THEM TO TO BE TRANSFERREDAND CARED FOR IN A FIELDHOSPITAL LIKE THIS.I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS IS NOTA TESTING FACILITY.DON'T GO THERE EXPECTING A TESTAND IT'S ALSO NOT AN EMERGENCYDEPARTMENT.SO I WOULDN'T WANT ANYBODY TOSHOW UP AT THE LIACOURAS CENTEREXPECTING CARE.IF YOU SICK CALL YOUR PHYSICIANOR GO TO THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCYA LITTLE BIT OF TESTING.WE'RE STILL LIMITED ON KITS BYTHE NUMBER OF SWAB, BY THENUMBERS OF CHEMICALS THAT THELABORATORIES HAVE AND BY DELAYSREPORTED BY SOME LABORATORIES.IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE OR TOBE TESTED GO TO WWW./COVID ANDTHERE'S A LINK WHERE YOU CAN GO.NOW, THE BIG PICTURE HERE IS THEHOSPITAL DATA SAID WE'RE NOTNECESSARILY PAST THE WORST OFTHIS.BUT LIMITS ON TESTING WE DON'TKNOW WHO'S INFECTED.SO YOU HAVE TO ASSUME ANYBODYTHAT YOU RUN INTO IS INFECTED,SO STAY HOME, IF YOU HAVE TO GOOUT, SAY YOU'RE AN ESSENTIALWORKERS YOU'RE GOING TO THEGROCERY.THE WWW.PHILA.GOV/COVID CANANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTION.THANK YOU, DR. FARLEY.TO QUICKLY CLARIFY THE URL THATTHE MAYOR READ EARLY FOR EARTHWEEK INFORMATION,PHILA.GOV/GREEN.NOW, ARMANDO WILL PROVIDESPANISH TRANSLATION.YOU UNDER HEARD FROM JIM KENNEY.