As the city’s confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise – there have been 16,410 as of Tuesday – Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley voiced concern about residents enjoying the warm weather without adhering to social distancing guidelines, including wearing masks.
“We need to establish the expectation that people wear masks when out of the home. People want to return to normal activity, but we won’t be able to do that safely unless everyone protects each other by wearing masks,” he said.
As of Tuesday, there are 4,059 cases in the Northeast, or 24.73 percent of the citywide total.
An interactive map of cases broken down by ZIP code can be found at phila.gov.
There have been a total of 743 deaths in the city. Three-hundred and ninety-two of those deaths have been in nursing homes.
Statewide, there are 50,957 cases in all 67 counties, with 3,012 confirmed deaths. Gov. Tom Wolf has adopted red, yellow and green tiers when considering whether to open up activities halted by the pandemic.
“As we prepare to move a number of counties from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, Philadelphians have plenty of options to pick up free food.
The city and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging are distributing meals to older adults. Family members can pick up for the seniors. Local sites are the Peter Bressi Northeast Senior Center, 4744-46 Frankford Ave.; KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave.; and the Northeast Older Adult Center, 8101 Bustleton Ave. They are distributing meals each Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. People will get two meals on Mondays and three meals on Wednesdays.
A youth meal distribution site, at Tarken Playground, 6250 Frontenac St., will be open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Families will receive eight meals per student: four breakfasts and four lunches. The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and the Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are supporting the food distribution.
Nutritional Development Services is sponsoring a feeding site for children every Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon at Catholic Social Services’s Northeast Family Service Center, 7340 Jackson St. Families in need can receive up to three meals per child, funded by the federal Department of Agriculture.
St. Hubert High School, 7320 Torresdale Ave., will also be a food distribution site Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in cooperation with Nutritional Development Services. Families can collect up to three days’ worth of meals plus milk (three breakfasts and three lunches) per child, per visit. Children do not have to be present to receive a meal.
The city continues to provide a box of free food to residents on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon at 21 sites. Local sites are Vogt Recreation Center, 4131 Unruh Ave.; 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.
The Philadelphia Water Department on Monday agreed to postpone all water shutoffs for residential and commercial customers who are unable to pay their bills through June 1. Customers who cannot pay their bill should apply for help at 215-685-6300 or www.phila.gov/waterbillhelp.
PECO Energy is extending its coronavirus support policies, which include suspending service disconnections, waiving new late fees and reconnecting customers who were previously disconnected, through at least June 1. Call 800-494-4000 if you are having trouble paying your PECO bill.
The city Department of Streets introduced changes to its operations during the pandemic. Recycling materials will be collected on an every-other-week schedule, through at least May 15. 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.
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. ••
