PHILADELPHIA, PA- As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise once again, the Philadelphia health commissioner urges city residents 65 and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
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During a briefing Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Thomas Farley said the number of cases per day has nearly doubled in the last month.
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“If you are over 65 and not yet vaccinated, register now and get vaccinated as soon as possible. Don’t delay,” he said.
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He noted that the increase is not only happening in Philadelphia, but throughout our region, especially in New Jersey and New York.
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“So the epidemic seems to be going back to where it started a year ago,” Farley said.
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This variant is thought to spread more easily, but it does not appear to cause a more serious infection and can be prevented with the vaccine.
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Farley said it was not clear whether the spread of this variant was a cause or an effect of the increase in cases, but said it was clear that there is a “new wave of the epidemic in the United States.”
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” This virus has surprised us and will continue to surprise us“, He said.
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Farley said city data shows that 509,000 residents have received at least one dose of the two doses, and another 241,000 people are considered fully vaccinated.
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He added that that number could be higher since it does not include residents who were vaccinated outside the city.
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Biden’s plan
President Joe Biden announced Monday that 90% of adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine in the next three weeks, as well as to have a vaccination site within five miles of where they live.
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“For the vast majority of adults, you won’t have to wait until May 1. You will be eligible for your vaccine on April 19,” added Biden. The president said he was ordering states to open eligibility to all adult Americans by May 1.
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Biden said the US would increase the number of pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy vaccination program from the current 17,000 locations to 40,000. He also announced that a record 33 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be available for vaccination sites this week.
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“Right now, we are getting 10,000 doses a week,” said Rosemarie Holt, director of the COVID Task Force in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
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That’s 10 times what Delaware County was getting before. It’s no secret that the Philadelphia suburbs have struggled to get a steady supply of vaccines for eligible residents. Holt says that demand can be met by increasing supply.
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Philadelphia will not be able to deliver
We are happy that the president is pushing to vaccinate people as quickly as possible. We’ve said before that all Philadelphia adults will be eligible for vaccination by May 1st. Vaccine dose availability and vaccine demand will be in close contact with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and we will adjust our schedule as appropriate. “
However, the health department confirmed that there will not be enough vaccinations for all adults in the city by April 19. With nearly 5 million vaccines to date, the state says it is putting the vaccines into their arms as fast as they get them. Delaware County officials hope to receive more doses to help meet the president’s goal.
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