City Of Philadelphia: City Provides Update On COVID-19 For Monday, September 27, 2021

Press release from the City of Philadelphia:

September 27, 2021

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported an additional 7,068 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Thursday, September 23. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 860,445, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to at least 1,044,027. Currently, 69.3 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 84.1 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department of Health reports 212 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 27 on ventilators.

In the last two weeks, three percent of COVID-19 tests in Philadelphia have come back positive. Thus far during the pandemic, 161,245 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 3,863 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 277 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.

COVID Vaccine Booster Doses Available Wherever Pfizer Vaccine is Available: On Friday, September 24, the CDC announced that certain people who had received their second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine should receive a booster dose to ensure that they continue to be well-protected from severe COVID. Those who are recommended to receive a booster dose include people:

• 65 or older or live in a nursing home, or
• Are aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

The CDC also said that some other higher-risk people should consider getting a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine at least six months after their second dose. These people include: 

• People who are age 18 to 49 who have underlying medical conditions, and
• People who work in higher-risk jobs like healthcare workers, teachers, or in other higher-risk occupational or institutional settings.

Pfizer COVID vaccine booster doses are available at all vaccine clinics and sites that are administering Pfizer vaccine. The Health Department has a list of all City-supported vaccine clinics at phila.gov/vaccine, and many pharmacies are available at vaccines.gov. For more information about COVID booster doses, see the Health Department’s blog post here. 

Health Department and PhillyCounts Counting Down to a Vaccinated Thanksgiving: The Health Department has found that COVID transmits most easily indoors, usually with people who you know and trust. That means that indoor gatherings, like Thanksgiving and other holiday meals, can be especially dangerous for unvaccinated Philadelphians. To help folks plan to have the safest holiday season, the Health Department and PhillyCounts have partnered to get the word out about the latest dates when you need to be vaccinated to lower everyone’s risk around the Thanksgiving table. This outreach will take place during PhillyCounts outreach programs and on the Health Department’s Twitter account. The deadlines are available on PhillyCounts’ blog post here. 

COVID-19 Resources:

• City’s COVID-19 homepage: phila.gov/covid-19.
• Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 response.
• Greater Philadelphia Coronavirus Helpline: 1 (800) 722-7112.
• Health Department COVID Call Center: 215-685-5488.
• Residents can text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to get updates sent to their phones.
• Residents can now set their own appointments to be vaccinated at City-run clinics.
• There are multiple public transit options to get to City-run clinics.
• COVID-19 testing is available for free at sites throughout Philadelphia.
• The COVID Prevention and Response Fund is accepting donations to aid nonprofits and individuals that are supporting their community through the pandemic.

Resources for Media:

• Recordings of COVID-19 briefings (Subtitles available in multiple languages).
• Recordings of Health Department COVID-19 briefings.
• COVID-19 press releases.

This press release was produced by the City of Philadelphia.The views expressed here are the author’s own.