Philly Coronavirus Cases Top 101K, Phase 1B Starting This Week

PHILADELPHIA — More than 101,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Philadelphia as of Tuesday, according to officials.

Philadelphia's Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley Tuesday said after identifying 551 new cases Tuesday, the city's total case count is now 101,629.

Despite reaching that unfortunate milestone, Farley said case counts are decreasing.

From Jan. 10 to Jan. 16, the city saw an average of 476 cases per day and had a 7.6 percent positive rate. Both figures are lower than the previous week, which had a daily average of 635 new cases and an 8.8 positivity rate.

No additional deaths were reported Tuesday, leaving the city's coronavirus death toll at 2,720.

As for Philadelphia hospitals, 538 people are being treated for the coronavirus; 91 of those patients are on ventilators. Farley he is no longer concerned about hospitals being overrun with patients following the holidays.

As for vaccination, the city plans to begin vaccinating members of the Phase 1B group this week.

Phase 1B includes frontline essential workers, congregate care setting residents and workers, residents 75 and older, and people with certain high-risk conditions such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, organ transplant patients, and more.

The Philadelphia Health Department also asked hospitals and clinics to begin inviting patients with such risk medical conditions to set appointments for vaccination.

Additionally, the Health Department is beginning outreach to certain frontline essential workers to schedule appointments to be vaccinated. These groups are being invited in the order listed in the Health Department’s vaccination plan, and will include, first responders, those who work in corrections, service providers who work with vulnerable populations, and public transit. Vaccinating these groups will take weeks, at which point, additional prioritized groups will start receiving invitations to schedule appointments to be vaccinated.

Unvaccinated healthcare workers — who were prioritized in Phase 1a — are still encouraged to set an appointment and get their vaccine as soon as possible.

Farley said 72,481 people have been administered first doses of the vaccines, and 15,662 have been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday. These figures include nursing home resident and staff vaccinations.

This week, the city got 10,725 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 10,000 doses of the Moderna. Farley said the city will get about 20,000 doses of both vaccines total weekly through February.

According to Farley, the city is launching webpages — one for individuals and one for organizations and businesses — to show interest in getting vaccinated. The sites are not registrations for vaccine appointments. They are expected to launch this week.

Those who use the webpages to show said interest will be contacted on how to schedule vaccination appointments when they become eligible, Farley said.

As for Phase 1C, other essential workers with lower risk of exposure and persons 65 to 74 years old will be vaccinated in that group. And then in Phase 2, the vaccine will be available to all individuals 16 years and older not previously immunized.