COVID Hospitalizations Rise In Philly, Health Safety Tips Offered

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is experiencing a slight uptick in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, prompting health officials to issue health safety tips.

According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 60 patients are in local hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 infections.

The 60 COVID-diagnosed patients in hospitals marks the first time since spring that COVID hospitalizations exceeded 50.

"However, that number is still far below where we were at this point in the last three years," officials said in their news release.

The Health Department said residents should take precautions in anticipation of a possible continued rise in the number of cases of COVID-19 over the coming months.

Residents are encouraged to:

• stay home if you are sick;
• check your supplies of at-home COVID-19 tests, hand sanitizer, and high-quality masks (available at the Health Department’s resource hubs and upcoming school events);
• test yourself or get tested if you don’t feel well;
• consider wearing a mask when you are in crowded indoor public places';
• and if you test positive for COVID-19 and are high risk, talk with your doctor about Paxlovid or other antiviral medications .

"In 2023, living with COVID-19 is a bit like living with the potential for severe storms,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole. "Fortunately, we no longer need to put our lives on hold or miss out on important events. But we do need to stay aware of the virus and to be a bit more careful when we see signs of an increase in spread. By taking reasonable precautions, we can help prevent the infection from affecting people at highest risk."

The Health Department offers COVID-19 protection resources, such as masks, hand sanitizer, and COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, among other things, available at our Resource Hubs.

Air purifiers for schools and early childhood education centers are still available from the Health Department.

COVID-19 testing opportunities continue to be made available throughout the city.