Philadelphia hit another somber milestone on Tuesday as COVID-19 claimed more than 500 lives of city residents.
There were 32 new deaths reported since yesterday, bringing the total number of casualties to 516. Some of these deaths happened up to two weeks ago but were only just identified to be related to the coronavirus, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.
“Please know all of Philadelphia joins you in mourning these individuals,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a message to their families on Tuesday’s COVID-19 advisory.
Nursing home residents account for 288, or 56 percent, of the overall deaths.
Farley also reported there were 577 new cases since yesterday, bringing the total to 13,445. Farley reiterated his belief that the city is past the worst of the virus – but it could be a slow descent as the number of new cases starts to decrease.
Northeast Philadelphia ZIP codes account for 2,858 of the cases, or 21.26 percent. That percentage has dropped from about 24 percent just five days ago.
Kenney reminded people to dispose of gloves, masks and even flushable wipes in garbage cans rather than flushing them down the toilet. These items can increase the likelihood of water main breaks.
