coronavirus

Philly Cases Top 1,300, 14 Deaths Reported

More than 1,300 people in Philadelphia have tested positive for COVID-19 as Philadelphia continues social-distancing measures aimed at slowing the spread of the deadly new coronavirus

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Philadelphia is dealing with more than 1,300 cases of COVID-19 as the city looks to slow the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday morning, city health officials said 1,315 people had tested positive for the coronavirus. At least 14 people had died, Pennsylvania said.

Among the people infected are at least 74 health care workers, one Department of Corrections employee and one inmate of a city jail, though officials would not say which jail.

Five of the city's nine deaths have happened among patients at nursing homes, city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.

Police officers, firefighters and paramedics are essential to keeping the city safe. They also have a high-risk of being infected by COVID-19. NBC10's Mitch Blacher asked what's being done to keep them safe.

And, he said, the virus has been reported in every Philadelphia zip code. "It's entirely clear that this virus is everywhere in the city," Farley said Monday.

Mayor Jim Kenney issued a stay-at-home order for the entire city on March 22, his most dramatic effort yet to to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The order went into effect March 23 at 8 a.m.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf indefinitely closed nonessential businesses and schools in Philadelphia on Monday. The Keystone State has been declared a disaster zone by the federal government.

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