Philadelphia Reaches 'Very Sad Milestone' As COVID-19 Deaths Top 1,000
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia has hit an "unfortunate milestone" as the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has topped 1,000. Health officials reported 22 new deaths, raising the city's death toll to 1,008. The number of cases has now exceeded 19,000.
"Crossing the threshold of 1,000 deaths is a stark reminder of the need to stay vigilant about social distancing practices. So remember -- stay at home, wear face coverings when you do go out and stay safe," Mayor Jim Kenney said Thursday.
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Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says the number of coronavirus deaths during the pandemic, is nearly the same amount as the opioid crisis over the past year.
"That is a really very sad milestone and it's something I don't want to minimize. A thousand deaths is many deaths that's happened in just a few weeks and that's almost as many deaths as we've had from the opioid crisis over the period of an entire year," Farley said.
Farley says, despite this milestone, the number of new deaths per day has been trending downward.
"It's absolutely clear that if we had not taken the steps we are taking now, deaths would have been far, far higher," Farley said.
Farley pointed to a study from the Drexel University Urban Health Collaborative that states that more than 6,200 deaths have been prevented in the city due to the stay-at-home orders.
While Philadelphia is likely still weeks away from reopening, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deepen the economic crisis in the city. Shuttered businesses and rising unemployment have led to more calls for federal assistance.
On Thursday, Kenney announced the formation of the COVID-19 Recovery Office, which will be in charge of recovering federal aid for Philadelphia, ensuring that grants and economic assistance are distributed properly.
"With the formation of the COVID-19 Recovery Office, we will ensure that our city government is recovering its costs and maximizing the effectiveness of the numerous federal and state grants coming to Philadelphia," Kenney said.
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The office is being chaired by Deputy Finance Director Sarah de Wolf and Deputy Managing Director Chris Rupe.
