Coronavirus Philadelphia: City Raising Fines On Businesses, Individuals Violating COVID-19 Safety Orders As Cases Near 14,500
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The City of Philadelphia will be coming down harder on businesses and people who violate COVID-19 safety orders. As the number of coronavirus cases neared 14,500 on Thursday, Mayor Jim Kenney said the city will be increasing fines for those who are not following the safety measures that have been enacted.
"As we prepare to resume construction activity tomorrow, and with additional commercial activity to resume as the city eventually reopens, we want to ensure people and businesses are taking the need for continued restrictions seriously," Kenney said.
The penalty will now be $2,000 for businesses that violate regulations and $500 for individuals. Previously, the maximum fine for all violations of the COVID-19 orders was $300.
"Up until this point we have done our best to rely on verbal warnings from police and notices from enforcement agencies, but the message should be clear -- as we ease restrictions we will need cooperation and for people to follow the orders. If you don't follow the orders, the city will fine you and take you to court," Kenney warned.
Philadelphia Managing Director Brian Abernathy said Thursday the city's health department has responded, so far, to 758 safety violation complaints and 583 warnings were given, but no fines were issued. Abernathy added that police issued 25 violations to individuals for failure to disperse and that 12 of those violations came on the city's first day of the stay-at-home order.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in Philadelphia increased to 14,468 after Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley reported 665 new cases. Sixty-six more deaths were announced, bringing the city's death toll to 607.
Farley says many of the new deaths reflected identification of previous cases.
"It's still looking like we are past the peak for the daily count in Philadelphia," Farley said.
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Farley is also reminding parents to get their children immunized as vaccinations are down in the city.
Statewide, there are nearly 48,000 COVID-19 cases as the death toll approaches 2,500.
