Philadelphia leaders set to announce new COVID-19 restrictions on Monday
Philadelphia COVID-19 live updates, news and information
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The City of Philadelphia is expected to announce new restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak on Monday.
"We're working out exactly what those will be right now," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said on Friday.
"Right now we're asking people to take personal responsibility, do the things we've said: stay away from other people, wear a mask. But we're going to have to take additional steps for the city as a whole to slow this rate of increase," he continued.
A news conference with more details is expected on Monday afternoon, the city said.
Another 1,158 additional COVID-19 cases in the city were announced on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to more than 52,000.
In addition, the Department of Public Health also announced 52 new probable cases from rapid antigen tests.
Five additional deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 1,909.
According to 6abc's data team, all five counties in our region are seeing more new cases than they did in April, and cases are growing at the fastest pace ever. Philadelphia currently has the highest infection rate, with about 660 new cases per day.
Ben Fellecia, the Director of Operations and Strategy for The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, has been watching how other large cities with rising cases are handling new mitigation efforts.
Many have returned to imposing restrictions Pennsylvania saw in the red and yellow phases. While city officials wouldn't disclose specifics on new guidance, officials are saying Philadelphia residents should model behaviors of early March or April.
Fellecia says restaurants may not reopen if they have to shut down again, and he hopes officials take into account all of the changes they have made and focus on where the spread of the disease is happening.
"The spread has really been caused by small social gatherings but not in hotels and event places, but in people's like homes, backyards and decks. In those type of situations there's nobody enforcing mask wearing or social distancing," Fellecia said.
Philly schools superintendent explains delay of hybrid learning
As COVID-19 continues spiking nationally and in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia School District affirmed its plans Thursday to delay bringing students and staff back into the classroom.
"This decision to put our transition to hybrid learning on hold was made after consideration with public health experts across the city and the Commonwealth," Superintendent Dr. William Hite said.
District officials acknowledged the warning of a looming "catastrophic situation" from one of the foremost most medical authorities, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"It was primarily the case counts and the science associated with that, that we chose them to remain virtual," Hite said.
In a statement CHOP's Policy Lab officials attributed some of the surge in cases to Halloween gatherings, writing in part, "Unfortunately, overall infection rates in children are outpacing those of adults in many areas of the country"
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