As of January 11th, 50,532 people in Philadelphia have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine and over 9,000 people have received the second, final dose. While the city is still prioritizing health care workers and residents and staff at nursing homes, who were outlined in the Phase 1A for vaccine distribution, the Department of Public Health has announced the next group who will begin receiving vaccinations soon.

Phase 1B includes people ages 75 and older and those with certain high-risk medical conditions; first responders; correctional officers and other workers in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A; food and critical goods handlers and manufacturers; grocery store workers; childcare and education providers; public transit workers.  Continue Reading

Philadelphia officials have lifted some COVID-19 restrictions re-imposed on local businesses and activities in November due to a spike in coronavirus cases in the city. The following types of businesses and activities can now resume operations (with COVID safety protocols), according to Mayor Jim Kenney’s announcement on Tuesday:

• Museums
• Gyms
• Casinos
• Outdoor sports
• Outdoor catered events
• In-person learning for high schools  Continue Reading

The University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is again partnering with Drexel University to offer a new no-cost Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) training program for Philadelphia residents.

Aspiring EMTs will be trained for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam. This 13-week training program will be a blend of virtual courses and in-person sessions following CDC COVID-19 regulations at Drexel University. Participants will receive $150 weekly stipends while enrolled in this free program. Masks will be provided for in-person sessions if needed. The program will conclude with an in-person administration of the NREMT exam.  Continue Reading

As of Dec. 30, 24,390 partial doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were administered in Philadelphia, according to the data published by PennLive.

The Pa. Department of Health launched a new dashboard last week where you can check the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered daily in the state (total and by county). However, the dashboard only includes data on vaccine doses provided by the state. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health receives vaccine doses from the federal government and is keeping separate statistics, which you can view here.  Continue Reading

Philadelphia has received its first batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and is expected to begin vaccinations this morning at multiple hospitals across the city, according to Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. Some 13,600 doses will be administered this week and health care workers are first in line to get vaccinated.

The City has outlined a plan of how vaccine doses will be administered, as more Pfizer and Moderna vaccine shipments are expected in the coming weeks and months. The following six tiers of vaccine distribution have been outlined:

1. Health care workers routinely exposed to COVID-19 patients
2. Residents and staff at nursing homes
3. “Critical infrastructure workers” who are routinely exposed to COVID-19 while on the job, such as police officers, firefighters, SEPTA drivers, and sanitation workers.
4. Residents and workers in other congregant settings
5. People with underlying medical conditions
6. The rest of the general public

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Blue Stoop, a nonprofit organization and home to Philly literary community started by two West Philly writers, is holding its virtual winter fundraiser “Words of Revolution; Words of Solace” on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 7-9 p.m. Join Blue Stoop to hear readings from 10 of the most exciting voices writing in and around Philadelphia today: Brittney Cooper, Myriam Gurba, Anne Ishii, Airea Matthews, Trapeta Mayson, Kiley Reid, Nikil Saval, Eric Smith, Amber Sparks, and Elissa Washuta.

This is not another typical Zoom event – in fact, this will be an innovative video program produced by award winning Philadelphia cinematographer Aly Spengler.  Continue Reading