PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 761 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 50,536. In addition, the Department of Public Health also announced 30 new probable cases from rapid antigen tests.

The Department of Public Health confirmed three additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 1,904. Of the 1,904 total deaths, 918 (48%) were long-term care facility residents.

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, “Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, today the Department of Public Health reported that more than 50,000 Philadelphians have tested positive for the coronavirus. More important than that, daily case rates are rising quickly. Yesterday we reported the most new cases and today, the second-most ever. We are entering the most dangerous phase of this pandemic, and everyone—everyone—needs to take this seriously: stay away from others, and wear a mask.”

Step Up to the Plate Update: A collaborative effort of Broad Street Ministry, Prevention Point Philadelphia, and SEAMAAC, along with the City of Philadelphia, Step Up to the Plate brought together a team of caterers, non-profits serving vulnerable populations, and funders for a massive initiative to create temporary food service sites in three Philadelphia communities. The sites serve meals to individuals experiencing housing and food insecurity during the pandemic. The partners announced today that Step Up to the Plate will continue to provide meals through March 2021.

After coming together last spring in a mere two weeks, the partners have raised $2.5 million. The sites began phasing in during the week of April 13. Originally planned for seven weeks, the Step Up to the Plate partners raised enough funds to continue the meal service through the fall of 2020.

An additional $1.4 million is needed to continue the program through the end of March 2021, about $650,000 of which remains to be raised to complete that total. The City of Philadelphia has contributed both financially and with in-kind support to this effort. As of October 31, Step Up to the Plate has provided 371,365 meals to Philadelphians. To get involved with Step Up to the Plate, visit www.stepupphilly.org. Press inquiries: Cari Feiler Bender, Relief Communications, 610-416-1216 or cari@reliefcomm.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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