PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 275 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 25,116. The 275 additional cases represent the total reported to the City since June 19.

With the total number of cases in Philadelphia crossing the 25,000 threshold, Mayor Jim Kenney today offered a note of caution: “Some may think that the pandemic is no longer a big deal,” said the Mayor. “But passing this 25,000 mark is a sobering reminder that COVID-19 remains a serious threat. To put it in context, that’s more people than can sit in the Wells Fargo Center; and our Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley believes the number is probably higher than that because some people never got tested.”

“It is clear that if we as a city hadn’t taken the steps that we did—when we did—thousands more would have gotten sick. As we’re seeing in other states, the pandemic is not gone. With your help, we won’t see a second wave like they’re seeing, and we can stop counting cases in the thousands. So as we approach the Green Phase, Philadelphia residents must consistently adhere to safety precautions—wear a mask, keep your distance from others, and wash your hands.”

The Department of Public Health noted continued progress in congregate settings, including nursing homes and the Department of Prisons. Current and cumulative totals of both symptomatic and asymptomatic positive cases in Philadelphia prisons are now posted on the testing and data page of the City’s COVID-19 website.

The Department of Public Health confirmed four additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 1,526. Of the 1,526 total deaths, 781 (51%) were long-term care facility residents.

Because the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has fallen substantially from the peak in late April and hospitals are gradually returning to normal operations, we are no longer including totals of hospitalizations in the weekday press releases. It is available to reporters on request.

Restore and Reopen Program Application Now Live: Last week, the City announced two new funding options for businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent civil unrest—the Restore and Reopen Program and the Restart PHL Loan Fund. The Restore and Reopen Program will provide $1.4 million in grant funding to help small, independently-owned businesses that experienced damage or inventory loss from the recent civil unrest, focusing on businesses in historically disadvantaged communities. The application for this program is now available on The Merchants Fund’s website, merchantsfund.org. Applicants will be prompted to create a new account on The Merchants Fund’s website when applying, if they do not have an existing account. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 28. Applications will be evaluated beginning Monday, June 29; not as they are received. The application for the $3 million Restart PHL Loan Fund from PIDC is expected to be available by the end of the month.

Reopening with Care (Green Phase): Last week, the City released Reopening with Care, Philadelphia’s Strategy for Moving to the Green Phase of reopening post COVID-19. While the Governor authorized Philadelphia County to move to “Green” effective June 26, based on local targets for progress, City officials will not allow Green Phase activities to begin until at least July 3. A limited number of activities will be able to resume on June 26, while the city is still in the Yellow Phase, including: residential swimming pools and private swim clubs; zoos (outside only); personal services such as salons, barbers, and spas; small indoor social and religious gatherings (up to 25 people).

The following activities are newly allowed in the Green Phase beginning July 3 in Philadelphia if targets are met:

  • Outdoor group recreational and sports activities for youth and adults
  • Gyms and indoor exercise classes
  • Schools and colleges
  • Libraries and museums
  • Indoor shopping malls
  • Outdoor performances and small outdoor events (up to 50 people)
  • Restaurants with indoor seating (with occupancy restrictions)

Reopening guidance for the industries listed above will be released by the health department this week.

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.

COVID-19 Resources:

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