No new deaths were reported, and one earlier fatality attributed to the virus turned out to be in error, so the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the city stands at 726.
There was also a very low number of new cases reported: 186. Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley said that’s likely because of lagging lab results from the weekend, and the numbers are sure to go up in the next few days.
Still, he was hopeful.
“This is now the third day in a row where the daily case count is below 400, and that’s despite the fact that we’re increasing the number of tests that we’re doing, so that’s clearly good news,” he said.
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“Get used to it,” said Kenney. “It’s not that much of a burden. Just think about what doctors and nurses and hospital personnel have to do every day and put on the damn mask.”
“We need to establish the expectation that people wear masks when out of the home,” echoed Farley. “People want to return to normal activity, but we won’t be able to do that safely unless everyone protects each other by wearing masks.”
To date, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health confirmed at least 16,040 cases of COVID-19 in the city.
Final contract extension
The mayor announced a contract extension with the final city union: AFSCME District Council 33, which represents blue collar workers. They’ll receive a 2% raise and a one-time bonus of $250, $475 or $750, depending on whether the employee worked onsite during the pandemic throughout the month of April for the majority of their time.
The raises come despite a revised budget that includes pay cuts for non-union employees and hundreds of layoffs. The mayor says DC 33 workers, who include sanitation workers, are on the front lines of the pandemic and deserve the raises.
Similar deals were worked out with police, firefighters and the white collar union DC 47. Their contracts were set to expire next month. The extensions give the city another year to stabilize its finances.
Mental health
For Mental Health Awareness Month, the city launched a public awareness campaign, called #mindPHL Together, which aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and encourage people to seek help if they need it.
“Amid the heightened uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental well-being is more important than ever,” added Kenney. “During this unprecedented time, many of us are experiencing loss, anxiety, stress, or overwhelming sadness. I want to remind Philadelphians to be mindful, know you are not alone, and that it’s OK to seek help for these and other symptoms.”