PHILADELPHIA –The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today announced 358 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 139,840. In addition, the Department of Public Health also announced 93 new probable cases from rapid antigen tests. 

The Department of Public Health confirmed 17 additional fatalities in Philadelphia. This brings the number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia to 3,494. Of the 3,494 total deaths, 1,194 (34%) were long-term care facility residents.

The Department of Public Health reports 429 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 64 on ventilators.

Reminder of Upcoming Changes to Safer-at-Home Restrictions: As announced last week, the City will be loosening certain restrictions on Friday, May 7. In all of these situations, the Health Commissioner made a strong recommendation that anyone participating in these higher-risk and higher-density events should be vaccinated first.

  • For indoor dining
  • Capacity will be increased from 25%, or 50% if restaurants meet enhanced ventilation standards, to 50%, or 75% if restaurants meet enhanced ventilation standards.
  • Maximum table size will be increased from four to six, and there is no longer a requirement that everyone at the table be from the same household.
  • For outdoor dining
  • Maximum table size will be increased to 10, which is the state limit.
  • For indoor catered events
  • Important to remember that events like indoor weddings are the highest risk.
  • For the first time in more than a year, the City will allow indoor catered social events up to 25% occupancy of space with a cap of 75 persons total.
  • If case rates continue to fall, the City may increase that cap to 150 beginning  May 21.
  • Other gatherings and events
  • Indoor gatherings and events will be able to increase their maximum capacity to 25% of normal capacity and outdoor gatherings and events will be able to increase maximum capacity to 50%.

Updates to the FEMA-supported Center City Vaccination Center and Esperanza Community Vaccination Center: Beginning Wednesday, May 5, both the CCVC and ECVC will begin administering second dose Pfizer vaccine to everyone that had been vaccinated at those sites in the last three weeks, and both sites’ last day will be Tuesday, May 25. All of the planned changes at both sites are as follows:

Center City Vaccination Center

  • Second-dose Pfizer vaccine will be available beginning Wednesday, May 5
  • Single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available beginning Tuesday, May 11
  • This clinic will close on Tuesday, May 25

 Esperanza Community Vaccination Center

  • Second-dose Pfizer vaccine will be available beginning Wednesday, May 5
  • First-dose Pfizer vaccine will continue to be offered
  • This clinic will close on Tuesday, May 25

Summer Jobs: Help children and youth PlayItSafePHL this summer and get paid! The Office of Children and Families and partners are looking for summer help. Residents who are interested in seasonal employment are invited to attend a virtual job fair tomorrow, May 5, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to meet with Out-of-School Time providers who are hiring individuals to work with children and youth this summer. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation also has seasonal job opportunities to fill quickly in a variety of areas including park rangers, communications, and recreation program assistants.

Mental Health Awareness Month: May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) continues to promote the Boost Your Mood campaign. The campaign acknowledges the uncertainty and stress many are experiencing as a result of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, racially motivated incidents of violence, and the trauma associated with gun violence.

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, DBHIDS is partnering with Radio One to host “Mental Health” each Monday through May 31. Upcoming Mental Health Monday segments will air on 100.3 R&B and Hip Hop and Classix 107.9, covering a wide range of topics with experts and people with lived experience. The segments and additional promotions on Radio One will encourage listeners to visit DBHIDS.org/boost for wellness tips, emergency and non-emergency mental health phone numbers to address needs for children, adults, families, and communities. The site includes expert blogs, a free mental health self-screening, an extensive packet of downloadable information, and newly added resources to help address trauma and violence.

City Opens Applications to Illuminate the Arts Grants: The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE)—in partnership with the Arts and Culture Task Force (ACTF) and City Councilmembers Isaiah Thomas and Katherine Gilmore Richardson—today announced the launch of the $1 million Illuminate the Arts Grant. The online application opens today, Tuesday, May 4 at 12:00 p.m. and will remain available through Friday, May 28.

The Illuminate the Arts program aims to help sustain and stimulate the recovery of Philadelphia’s arts and culture community, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $1 million will be distributed to Philadelphia’s individual artists, small and mid-size nonprofit arts organizations, and small creative enterprises. The grant seeks to financially uplift Philadelphia’s creative sector and support disadvantaged communities, particularly Philadelphia’s Black and Brown communities, that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More information about the program is available in this press release. 

City Changing Frequency of COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting: Beginning this week, the Health Department will be updating the COVID-19 Vaccine dashboard twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. With nearly 1.3 million doses administered in Philadelphia and more than a half million Philadelphians having received at least one dose of vaccine, day-to-day changes in the vaccine rollout are minor and do not require daily updates. The latest data on the City’s vaccine effort can be found on the City’s COVID website and OpenDataPhilly platforms.

COVID-19 Resources:

 

Resources for Media:

###