Philly Taking More Steps To Protect Citizens From Coronavirus

PHILADELPHIA — Health officials in Philadelphia are taking additional actions in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Philadelphia.

The Health Department reiterated that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Philadelphia, and the current risk to the average Philadelphian remains extremely low.

"Although we have not seen this virus in Philadelphia, we are taking the risk seriously and doing everything we can to protect our residents from it," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.

The new virus is a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance on how health departments should respond to the coronavirus. This guidance allows local public health departments to monitor or ensure self-monitoring for the development of symptoms of asymptomatic people who may have been exposed to coronavirus.

The guidance also recommends the application of movement restrictions, including isolation and quarantine, when needed to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.

Philadelphia health officials have been and continues to work daily with state and federal officials to implement the federal directives to contain coronavirus.

Actions being taken by the Department include:

• Updating and distributing guidance to local healthcare providers around screening and treating people with suspected coronavirus infection.
• Developing and distributing infection control recommendations for persons involved in transport or care of suspected cases.
• Facilitating and tracking laboratory testing of persons who meet the definition of a suspected case of coronavirus.
• Assisting in isolation of persons suspected of having coronavirus until results of testing are known.
• Providing accurate information to community residents through multi-lingual communications using phone, print, radio, internet, and social media outlets for communication.
• Establishing protocols for monitoring the health of U.S. citizens and their family members returning from China who arrive in Philadelphia and need to remain in their homes for up to 14 days; this includes making sure they receive appropriate services and testing should they become ill within 14 days of last exposure.
• Working with schools, colleges and universities to ensure compliance with new guidance from CDC that excludes newly arriving travelers from China from public settings, including schools, for 14 days from their last exposure.
• Working with other city agencies to ensure effective communication and coordination in the event that coronavirus cases occur in Philadelphia.

The federal government has taken many steps to respond to coronavirus as the number of cases around the globe continue to climb.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared the disease to be a public health emergency on Jan. 31.

The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory on Feb. 2, advising no U.S. citizens travel to China. And airports across the country have instituted special screening measures to identify potential cases of the disease.