Northeast Philadelphia ZIP codes account for 918 of the city’s 4,272 confirmed coronavirus cases, or 21.49%.
ZIP code 19111, which contains neighborhoods like Fox Chase and Lawndale, has 165 positive cases as of Tuesday afternoon. This makes the ZIP code the third highest in the city in terms of confirmed cases.
Northeast Philadelphia’s ratio continues to slowly but steadily grow. One week ago on March 30, Northeast ZIP codes accounted for 17.25 percent of positive cases. The interactive map can be found at phila.gov.
Sixty-eight percent of city residents said they follow social distancing guidelines very closely and 25% said they do somewhat closely, for a total of 93%, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley reported. Studies show traveling to locations such as retail or recreation is down 57% in the city.
“I give the city a B+,” Farley said, noting how travel is down further in other cities.
Police Lt. James Walker lost his life this weekend due to the virus, marking the first death of a city employee.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we send our deepest condolences to this officer’s family,” said FOP Lodge 5 President John McNesby. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the entire Philadelphia police department. We should never forget the sacrifices of our officers and those on the front lines battling this pandemic and working tirelessly to keep our great city safe.”
“This is a heartbreaking reminder that the virus is affecting people throughout our community, especially those on the frontlines,” Mayor Jim Kenney said.
Clusters of cases like nursing homes, prisons and behavioral health facilities are the most at risk. There are 58 cases confirmed in inmates.
There have been a total of 65 deaths in the city. Twenty-six of those deaths have been in nursing homes. Farley said he expects the number of deaths to rise in the coming weeks as the virus spreads and possible coronavirus-related deaths are still under investigation.
Statewide, there are 14,559 confirmed cases in all 67 counties, with 240 deaths.
“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health 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.”
The city continues to provide a box of free food to residents on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon at 20 sites. Local sites are Keep the Faith Ministries, 1906 Harrison St.; Pelbano Recreation Center, 8101 Bustleton Ave.; Salvation Army Citadel, 5830 Rising Sun Ave.; Feast of Justice, 3101 Tyson Ave.; Palmer Recreation Center, 3035 Comly Road; Mitzvah Food Program, KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave.; and Mizpah SDA, 4355 Paul St.
Federal guidelines stating all Americans should practice safe social distancing and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people have been extended to April 30.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia and School District of Philadelphia schools, along with those across the state, are closed indefinitely. So are non-life-sustaining businesses. All Free Library locations will remain closed to the public until further notice. SEPTA bus, trolley, El and subway service are operating on a continuous Saturday schedule until further notice.
The Northeast Older Adult Center, 8101 Bustleton Ave., will remain open certain weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for meal service.
The city Department of Streets introduced changes to its operations during the pandemic. Recycling materials will be collected on an every-other-week schedule. Residents should hold their recycling materials this week. Recycling collections will resume on Monday, April 13, with every-other-week collections through at least May 15. There will be no trash collections on April 10 in observance of Good Friday. Residents are urged to use lids for recycling bins to prevent debris from blowing away. Lids for city-issued recycling bins can be picked up from the Sanitation Convenience Center at State Road and Ashburner Street. The center is open for residents to dispose of items from Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority is not enforcing meters, kiosks and residential parking time limits. It is enforcing safety violations such as double-parking, loading zone violations, blocking wheelchair-accessible curb cuts and parking near fire hydrants and in bus zones.
Philadelphia Gas Works is suspending non-payment terminations and is waiving new late payment charges. This termination moratorium will remain in place until further notice. Regular billing will continue for all customers.
PECO Energy is suspending service disconnections and new late payment charges for all customers through May 1.
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. ••
