PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in Philadelphia. Hospitalizations are also increasing.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health spokesman Jim Garrow said the city is averaging more than 2,600 new cases each day. Nearly 1,000 people are hospitalized, including 66 patients on ventilators.
“The best way to describe the numbers we put out today is ‘alarming,’" said Garrow.
"We’ve been saying now for a couple of weeks, this could be the most dangerous time in the pandemic, and the numbers that we’re seeing in terms of people who are testing positive is exactly that point."
Related
Garrow said one of the most alarming numbers is the percent of tests coming back positive. It’s up to nearly 40%, the highest it’s ever been in Philadelphia, and that doesn’t include home tests.
"The numbers that we’re reporting, the average of more than 2,600 cases a day, is an extreme undercount," Garrow warned.
"The numbers are up probably much higher than that."
Garrow says holiday gatherings may have contributed to the totals, but the most likely cause is the extremely contagious omicron variant.
"There’s a lot of omicron in the city right now, and where delta would maybe infect one or two people for everyone who tests positive, omicron seems to do much more than that."
Garrow said omicron cases seem to be milder, especially in people who have been vaccinated. But the sheer number of cases is still putting a strain on hospitals.
Related
“There are lots of people in Philly hospitals with other things and the more people who get sick and have to go to the hospital because of COVID further strains them. We’ve seen it in other parts of the state where hospitals just get wildly overwhelmed and we’re quickly approaching that point."
Garrow said the indoor dining vaccine mandate which started Monday should help persuade more people to get vaccinated.
Already, more than 98% of adults in the city have received at least one dose.