PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The omicron wave of COVID-19 cases appears to have peaked and is now shrinking fast in Philadelphia, but the city’s health commissioner says it is still too soon to end any public health restrictions.
The city is seeing fewer than 1,000 new cases a day, down from a peak of 3,500 two weeks ago. More than 900 people are hospitalized with the virus, a 30% drop from last week.
However, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole says the numbers are still quite high, and a surge could come roaring back if people don’t take proper precautions.
“The thing to be wary of is that omicron is still 98% of what we’re seeing in Philadelphia. It’s highly contagious so our ability to maintain this drop in case count depends on us,” Bettigole said.
The virus is the same as it was a few weeks ago, when infection rates shot into the thousands and hospitals filled up, she says. “It can recur in that same way if we’re not careful.”
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Bettigole says masking and avoiding crowded indoor spaces are still essential. And she continues to urge vaccines and boosters for everyone over 5 years old.
She says she understands the frustration of following those rules and still being at risk this far into the pandemic.
“I’m personally also really frustrated that we are still facing this variant of the virus that doesn’t act like earlier versions, where doing everything right doesn’t mean you can’t get and transfer COVID,” she said.
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“This doesn’t mean sit home all the time, never see anybody. It means manage your risk: fewer people, more masking, being outside more, doing things that are safer, so we as a city don’t skyrocket.”
The city is sharing more detailed information about who is getting vaccinated on its dashboard. It shows nearly half of 5- to 11-year-olds have gotten at least one dose, along with 89% of teenagers and 95% of adults. She says the city is lagging a bit on booster shots, with only 30% of adults getting boosted.