COVID cases dropping in Philly

The city, at press time, reported 24,475 confirmed coronavirus cases.

An interactive map of cases broken down by ZIP code can be found at phila.gov.

There have been a total of 1,474 deaths in the city. Seven-hundred and sixty-one of those deaths have been in nursing homes.

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, “The Health Department continues to see encouraging news about COVID-19 coronavirus in Philadelphia. The number of daily cases identified is lower and the number of people getting tested is increasing. These numbers suggest that most residents in most situations are behaving safely. For Philadelphia to safely restart more activities, residents will have to continue to wear masks when they are around other people, stay 6 feet away from others and wash their hands frequently.”

Statewide, there are 79,121 cases in all 67 counties, with 6,243 confirmed deaths, including 4,268 in nursing homes or personal care facilities.

Gov. Tom Wolf has adopted red, yellow and green tiers when considering whether to open up activities halted by the pandemic.

“With more than half of the state now in the green phase of the process to reopen, it is essential that we continue to take precautions to protect against COVID-19,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “The commonwealth’s careful, measured approach to reopening is working as we see case counts continue to decline even as many other states see increases. But the virus has not gone away. Each of us has a responsibility to continue to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others by wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands frequently. Together we can protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our essential workers and our healthcare system.”

Philadelphia went into the yellow tier on June 5.

“As we reopen the city, we must approach our short- and long-term plans for economic recovery in equitable, more inclusive ways,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “By bringing together diverse leaders from across our region and representing a variety of industries, the Philadelphia Regional Recharge and Recovery Taskforce allows all of us to approach economic recovery collectively, while still keeping our most pressing needs at the forefront of local efforts.”

The Philadelphia Water Department agreed to postpone all water shutoffs for residential and commercial customers who are unable to pay their bills through July 10. Customers who cannot pay their bill should apply for help at 215-685-6300 or www.phila.gov/waterbillhelp.

The city Department of Streets will collect recycling materials every other week through June 26. Regular trash collections will continue on or as close to its normal schedule as possible during trash-only weeks.

PECO Energy will continue its coronavirus support policies, which include suspending service disconnections, waiving new late fees and reconnecting customers who were previously disconnected, through at least July 1. Call 800-494-4000 if you are having trouble paying your PECO bill.

Philadelphians looking for the latest local information on the coronavirus can visit phila.gov/COVID-19.

Residents with questions can call a 24-hour helpline at 800-722-7112.

Or, text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to receive updates to your phone. ••