PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 88 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 33,343.

The Department of Public Health confirmed no additional fatalities in Philadelphia. The number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia remains at 1,749. Of the 1,749 total deaths, 875 (50%) 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.

Water Shutoff Pause Extended: The Philadelphia Water Department and Water Revenue Bureau announced they will not shut off customers unable to pay water bills through September 30, 2020. This extends a pause on shutoffs that began in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While water services will not be terminated for nonpayment, past-due balances will continue to grow. Customers are encouraged to apply for help immediately at phila.gov/waterbillhelp or by calling (215) 685-6300.

Daily Trash and Recycling Update: Collections continue to be impacted by weather, increased tonnage, and attendance. Residents can check the daily trash and recycling update blog post to see the current status of trash and recycling collections.

  • Trash: One to two days behind citywide, residents should put out trash on their regular collection day.
  • Recycling: One to two days behind citywide, residents should put out recycling on their regular collection day.

Updates to Student Meals and Food Sites: Since March, the City, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Liberty Resources, Philabundance and Share Food program, along with numerous community based organizations, came together to address food access needs of our communities during the pandemic. This collective effort resulted in 5,600,000 student meals distributed and over 530,000 food boxes, 85,475 senior meals, nearly 237,000 outdoor meals, and 4,400 deliveries to people with disabilities.

Effective September Thursday, September 3 there will be changes to student meals and food sites.

Student Meals: The School District of Philadelphia is expanding the number of sites available for “grab and go” student meals. Beginning Thursday, September 3, there will be 62 schools distributing student meals every Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. Two locations, Abraham Lincoln High School and Horace Furness High School, will no longer serve as student meal distribution sites due to planned capital improvement work taking place at both schools.

Also effective Thursday, September 3, parents or students must provide a School District of Philadelphia Student ID number in order to pick up a “grab and go” meal box for their student. This means that the School District of Philadelphia will only be able to provide “grab and go” meals to children who are Pre-K-12th grade students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia, or at one of the five charter schools who contract with the district for food services: Kipp West PHL Preparatory Charter, Philadelphia Electric and Tech Charter, Math Civic and Science Charter, Prep Charter School of Math, Science Tech and Careers, and Multi Cultural Academy Charter.

Previously, the School District of Philadelphia, along with many charter schools, were able to provide meals to children, regardless of what school they attended, through a special waiver to the School Lunch Program, provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. Despite national bipartisan support to extend this waiver, the federal government has so far decided against providing this much needed resource to children.

Food Sites: Food sites for the general public also have changes for fall. Effective Thursday, September 3, there will be 31 food sites across the City distributing food boxes from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. These sites will be supported by Philabundance and Share Food Program.

As the City takes steps toward recovering and re-opening, the City’s food warehouse has phased out operations. The food warehouse was part of the City’s emergency COVID-19 response, serving as the distribution hub for food donations from Philabundance and the Share Food Program to the city supported sites which provided consistent distribution days and times.

The City  thanks the partners, staff, and volunteers who made this emergency food response possible. Share Food Program, Philabundance, and the 40 community-based organizations that hosted the food sites.

An up-to-date list of sites and schedules is available on the City’s website. The public is encouraged to confirm locations and schedule by calling 311 or visiting phila.gov/food before going to a site.

Additional resources can also be found at whyhunger.org/find-food/ and communityresourceconnects.org. Individuals may also call WhyHunger at 1(800) 5-HUNGRY, or text their zip code to 1(800) 548-6479 to find food near them.

People who would like to support food access in Philadelphia are encouraged to continue making contributions to Philabundance and Share Food Program, including volunteering their time to distribute food. Go to sharefoodprogram.org, philabundance.org, or serve.volunteermatch.org to learn more.

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:

Resources for Media:

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