“I have better news today. The number of our cases has dropped in the last three weeks, but the number of our cases is still high and we need to be careful,” Farley said.
On Tuesday, the city reported a 41% drop in cases since the implementation of “Safer at Home” restrictions, which has resulted in some of the lowest infection rates in the region in recent times.
“So we see this as proof that the restrictions work,” Farley added.
He warned, however, that the combination of both improper gatherings and Christmas and New Year’s Eve could increase the number of cases again.
“These two peaks can run together and feed each other,” he said.
To date, while still in the early stages of launch, more than 18,000 high-risk health workers have received a COVID 19 vaccine in the city.
Farley said that in the next 2 weeks, the city is expected to receive less than 10,000 doses of both the Pfizer and the modern vaccine.
“The number of doses is small, so people who want to be vaccinated, including health care workers, will have to be patient to get the vaccine,” Farley said.
As the weeks go by, nonprofits like Philly Fighting COVID will work with the city to help vaccinate more Philadelphians, especially health workers.
“The goal should be, the moment we receive the vaccine in hand, it should be in someone’s arm,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jose Torradas.
Torradas said one of the group’s goals is to help the city reach the herd’s immunity.
“So many commercial interests want to come back, so the hundreds of millions of dollars at stake without counting the thousands of lives we lose every day because we are not immune to the herd,” Torradas said.
Farley said the city’s health systems are working to get the vaccines out as soon as possible.
“I don’t think any of them stick to the vaccine, it certainly shouldn’t be. There are a lot of people who should be in line,” he said.
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