Coronavirus Pennsylvania: Philadelphia COVID-19 Cases Top 1,000, Statewide Total Climbs Above 4,000
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The number of coronavirus cases in Philadelphia has now topped 1,000 as the statewide total has climbed above 4,000. Pennsylvania health officials reported nearly 700 new cases on Monday, as the total number of cases across the commonwealth now stands at 4,087.
Fifty people have now died from the virus in Pennsylvania.
In Philadelphia, officials revealed over 180 new cases in the city on Monday, bringing the total number to 1,072. The death toll has climbed to nine in the city, after Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley reported a woman in her 80s with an underlying health condition died.
Of those nine deaths, five have been of nursing home residents.
"It's entirely clear this virus is everywhere in the city," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says.
"The more people that stay home, the less likely this is to spike," Mayor Jim Kenney said.
Chester County also announced its first COVID-19-related death. Officials say an 89-year-old man who resided in Willistown Township died on Sunday.
He had been hospitalized and had a number of underlying conditions.
"We were heartbroken to learn of this first death in Chester County, and on behalf of the whole community, we offer our deepest condolences to loved ones of this individual," officials said in a statement.
In Montgomery County, officials announced its sixth coronavirus-related death. The latest death was an 82-year-old woman from Springfield Township who had underlying health conditions. Officials say she was in the hospital at the time of her death.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf revised the stay-at-home orders to include Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin and Schuylkill counties, bringing the state total to 26 counties under the order.
Schools have also been closed indefinitely.
"Our business and school closures will no longer have a set date to resume normal operations," Wolf said. "Until now I've been saying another two weeks, another two weeks. But now I'm going to leave the date indefinite."
He went on to say that schools and businesses will remain closed as long as they need to be to keep Pennsylvania safe.
"I know this isn't easy to hear, we are built to want to work, to learn, to socialize and it's hard being confined," Wolf said. "We miss our friends, we miss being with family members but if we want to save lives, we must continue to distance ourselves from each other."
On Sunday, a formal request was made for a federal major disaster declaration, saying it would provide additional help to governments responding to the crisis.
Wolf signed a disaster emergency proclamation for Pennsylvania on March 6 and it remains in effect.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
