PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced that 962 additional cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus have been reported in Philadelphia since cases were last reported on Friday, October 9; this includes 145 newly confirmed cases for today. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 39,413. The Department of Public Health announced no new probable cases from rapid antigen tests.

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 1,830. Of the 1,830 total deaths, 901(49 percent) were long-term care facility residents.

New Event Size Limits: Effective Friday, October 16, the City of Philadelphia is expanding its allowable event sizes. These size limits are more restrictive than those recently published by Governor Wolf due to Philadelphia’s higher COVID-19 case count and the city having more large venues than other parts of the state.

Indoor events can allow 10 percent of their maximum occupancy, up to 250 people. Outdoor events with a maximum occupancy of up to 2,000 can have up to 20 percent of their maximum capacity; events with a maximum occupancy of between 2,000 and 10,000 can have up to 15 percent of their maximum capacity; events with maximum occupancy over 10,000 can have up to 15 percent of their maximum capacity, up to 7,500 people. If there are no occupancy limitations for an outdoor event space, the applicable rate is the appropriate above percentage based on a formula of 67 people per 1,000 square feet, up to 7,500 people.

The maximum capacity limits include performers/participants and staff, in addition to patrons. The limits determined by using the City’s maximum occupancy calculator guidelines apply even if they lead to fewer than 25 people allowed to participate in an event or gathering. For example, an indoor space with a maximum occupancy of 150 people can host a gathering of no more than 15 people. Events are required to ensure that the number of people in the event space stays below the appropriate limits. This means they must control entry into the event space, count the number of people entering, and refuse entry when the limit is met. Venues must follow all Pennsylvania orders and guidance to protect the safety of performers/participants, staff and patrons—including masks and six-foot social distancing requirements.

The Department of Public Health continues to recommend that people not hold social gatherings at any time, even if they are allowed and follow the guidance above.

More information can be found here. The Department of Public Health is working to update the industry-specific guidance on phila.gov/reopen to reflect the new event size limits.

Complete the 2020 Census before October 31: To date, 56.4 percent of Philadelphia’s households have completed the 2020 Census. There is very limited time remaining to ensure a complete and accurate count for our city. Philadelphia residents are encouraged—if they have not done so already—to fill out the census online at 2020census.gov, over the phone, or using the paper form.

Holiday Season Update: Mayor Kenney today shared that the City and its partners are moving forward with plans for the holiday season in Philadelphia; though they will look different due to public health guidelines. “After a challenging year, we are looking forward to keeping the essence of the season here in Philadelphia—a time of reflection, family, faith, and joy,” said Mayor Kenney. The holiday tree will return to City Hall, with a pre-recorded program rather than an in-person tree lighting celebration in order to adhere to social distancing requirements and other public health precautions. Partner organizations such as Visit Philadelphia, Welcome America Inc., Center City District, and many more are collaborating with the City to provide safe, family-friendly, outdoor activities throughout the city for all to enjoy. Additional details, including a full schedule of holiday programming, will be made available in mid-November.

Daily Trash and Recycling Update: Residents can check the daily trash and recycling update blog post to see the current status of trash and recycling collections.

  • Trash: Delayed one day due to Monday’s holiday. Trash collections will be one day behind schedule for the remainder of the week.
  • Recycling: Delayed one day due to Monday’s holiday. Recycling collections will be one day behind schedule for the remainder of the 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:

Resources for Media:

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