Thread by @ClaireWolters

Happy Wednesday! My PHL Public Health press briefing recap, below:

As of Wednesday, April 22, there have been 10,643 cases of COVID-19 and 423 related deaths in Philadelphia since the start of the pandemic.

This is an increase of 615 new cases and 29 new deaths since yesterday.

These numbers are consistent with other increases from the few days, but,

“The peak of the epidemic is actually higher than what we previously thought,” Dr. Farley said.

In the city’s jail, there are now 53 people who are incarcerated who are testing positive with the virus.

This is an increase of five new positive cases and a decrease of six new negative cases since yesterday, Dr. Farley said.

Of Philadelphia's total 423 deaths, 220 of the people who died (52%) were nursing home residents.

"Nursing homes continue to bear the brunt of this epidemic," Dr. Farley said.

Hospital numbers continue to increase.

There are 949 COVID-19 patients in Philadelphia hospitals and 1,824 in hospitals in the entire SE Pa. region.

“We have plenty of capacity region-wide, but some hospitals have been much harder by this and others,” Dr. Farley said.

Note on testing:

Testing reveals if a person is positive/negative at that moment, but NOT if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or are in an incubation period, Dr. Farley said.

Due to this, he does not recommend people to get tested if they do not display symptoms, he added.

Further, testing in Philly is still limited by the number of swabs available.

Last, #HappyEarthDay! 🌎

Philly has seen a reduction in air pollution since the start of its Stay at Home order, mostly due to a decrease in vehicle use (which is the largest source of air pollution in the city), Dr. Farley said.

When this is over, we will have to find ways to continue this by keeping vehicle pollution down, Dr. Farley said.