PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 319 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 31,439. Today’s case count represents totals for three days, since new cases were last reported on Friday, August 7.

The Department of Public Health confirmed one additional fatality in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 1,699. Of the 1,699 total deaths, 861 (51%) were long-term care facility residents. 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.

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley noted that today marks the five-month anniversary of the first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in the city, saying: “Five months ago today, we reported that, for the first time, a Philadelphia resident had tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus. The five months since then have been difficult: more than 30,000 Philadelphians have tested positive, nearly 1,700 have died, and tens of thousands have lost their sources of income.”

“Every day we are making progress in the battle against this virus, though,” Dr. Farley added. “Daily case counts are now dropping, the percentage of tests that are coming back positive is hitting new lows, and our economy is shifting back into gear. This progress is based on Philadelphia residents doing the right thing, especially wearing masks, and keeping a distance from others. If we all continue to do that consistently, the next five months will be much better than the last.”

Small Business Support: The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance program is now open for a second window of applications. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 28. Business owners that applied during the first application window should receive notification of application status and do not need to reapply in the second round. The program will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses that have been economically impacted by COVID-19. More information, including how to apply, can be found at pabusinessgrants.com.

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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