PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 663 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 87,386. In addition, the Department of Public Health also announced 81 new probable cases from rapid antigen tests.

The Department of Public Health confirmed 35 additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 2,347. Of the 2,347 total deaths, 991 (42%) were long-term care facility residents.

The Department of Public Health reports 828 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 137 on ventilators.

Businesses Encouraged to Begin Preparing Documents for New PPP Applications: The passage of the latest $900 billion federal relief bill will reopen the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for eligible businesses, which must employ no more than 300 people to be eligible. PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria are met, and the funds are used for eligible expenses.

The application is expected to reopen in the coming weeks, if President Trump signs the bill. As business owners prepare to apply for PPP and other relief programs, they should begin to gather documentation, such as:

  • Inventory documents (delivery slips, etc.)
  • Receipts
  • Payroll
  • Details on laid off or furloughed staff
  • Debt service payments
  • Mortgage/lease and utility payments
  • Workers’ Compensation claims
  • Signed tax returns from 2018 and 2019
  • Financial statements from 2018 and 2019
  • Note: This is not an exhaustive list of required documents.

Businesses which did not receive funding from the federal program earlier this year, particularly minority-owned businesses, are encouraged to seek out assistance to ensure they compile and submit the necessary paperwork on time. To that end, The Enterprise Center is partnering with the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, & DE, and the Urban League of Philadelphia for the Get Your Documentation Ready NOW campaign. This effort  encourages Black- and brown-owned businesses to have their PPP applications nearly final when the SBA opens the next PPP application window.

The Department of Commerce’s Office of Business Services stands ready to assist or answer questions from businesses working on PPP applications. Business Services Managers can also help businesses navigate City services, understand business regulations, as well as assist entrepreneurs through the process of opening, operating, and growing a business in Philadelphia. They can be reached by calling the City’s business services hotline at 215-683-2100 or by emailing business@phila.gov.

Food Site Update: Due to the holidays, the regular schedule for many upcoming food and meal distributions has changed. Families can pick up food at one of 70+ distributions taking place before the end of the year, thanks to support from Share Food Program and Philabundance. For information about food pantries and other food resources, visit phila.gov/food or call 311 for assistance.

COVID-19 Releases and Press Conferences: Due to the upcoming holidays, the City will not issue its weekday COVID-19 press releases on Friday, December 25 or Friday, January 1. Case counts for each of those days will be included in the next release the following Monday.

The Mayor’s Office will not host a COVID-19 press conference on Tuesday, December 29. However, Dr. Farley will hold a virtual media availability at 1 p.m. The Department of Public Health will issue an advisory with details.

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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