Coronavirus Pennsylvania: Philadelphia COVID-19 Cases Top 6,000 As Statewide Total Exceeds 21,000; Death Toll Nears 500
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS/AP) — The number of coronavirus cases in Philadelphia jumped above 6,000 on Saturday, city officials announced. Statewide, Pennsylvania has exceeded 21,000 as the death toll nears 500.
In Philadelphia, officials announced 359 new cases, bringing the citywide total to 6,152. The death toll rose to 160 as 23 more people died from the virus.
"While the growth rate of numbers of positive cases over the last few days has been promising, I want to stress that now is not the time to let up on social distancing and the other precautions we've been taking," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said. "We must continue to do our part to help flatten the curve in Philadelphia. We need all Philadelphia residents to stay at home unless absolutely necessary to leave for an essential job or critical activity like buying food or medicine. We need everyone to wear a face covering if they must go outside and maintain at least six feet between themselves and others when out in public. And of course, everyone needs to continue to wash their hands frequently."
Pennsylvania health officials reported 1,676 new cases, bringing the statewide total to 21,655. The health department also announced 78 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 494.
"Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action," Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. "Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe. If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and our healthcare workers and frontline responders."
Levine says 98,498 patients have tested negative for COVID-19.
Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
In Montgomery County, officials announced 120 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the countywide total to 1,815. Six more deaths were also reported, the county death toll now stands at 68.
"Sadly, we are reporting today six more deaths due to COVID-19, which underscores the need to continue to protect the most vulnerable as well as ourselves by staying at home," Montgomery County Board of Commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said.
CORONAVIRUS LATEST: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Gov. Tom Wolf predicted Friday that Pennsylvania will see a surge in new virus cases next week and implored residents to continue to self-isolate to get the worst of the pandemic behind them and allow the state's economy to gradually open back up.
"If the surge occurs next week, as we suspect it will, and it's within the range of the capacity of our health care system, that's going to allow us to shut this shutdown down fast, faster than if this drags on," Wolf told reporters on a conference call.
Modeling from the University of Washington suggests that Pennsylvania could hit a peak in hospitalizations and deaths late next week before the numbers gradually drift down through the middle of May. Dr. Levine, said there won't be one peak and that different regions of the state will peak at different times.
Philadelphia and its suburbs, as well as several counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says social distancing will probably have to go through the summer as the city saw its highest single-day death count on Friday.
Mark Roberts, director of the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, which is doing its own virus modeling, warned Friday that a peak doesn't mean that Pennsylvania is out of the woods. He said the numbers could very easily spike again if people leave their homes and businesses open up too quickly.
"What I worry about is this notion that, 'Oh, we've hit the peak, we're finished, we're done,'" Roberts told The Associated Press.
The state's mitigation measures, including the indefinite shuttering of schools and nonessential businesses and Wolf's order for people to remain at home, have helped slow the virus's spread and make the pandemic more manageable for the health care system, according to Levine.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
