Since Philadelphia has entered Phase 1b of priority COVID-19 vaccine distribution, hospitals in major health networks, such as Penn Medicine, Temple Health and Einstein, have begun vaccinating high-risk patients.

Some people considered high-risk due to their age (75+) or those with such chronic medical conditions as cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and organ transplant patients, may have already received a call from their doctor about scheduling a COVID vaccine appointment.

But it may take many weeks before all people in this priority group are vaccinated. There are tens of thousands of high-risk patients in each large health network and the vaccine supply has been limited so far (although it is expected to increase in the coming weeks). For example, Temple Health currently receives about 1,000 doses a week and Penn Medicine gets between 1,500 and 2,000 doses a week, according to WHYY.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (1/26/2021): The City is no longer partnering with Philly Fighting COVID (PFC) and is asking those who had pre-registered for the COVID-19 vaccine through PFC to re-register on their website.

The city is preparing to open more COVID-19 mass vaccination sites, including high schools, public libraries, places of worship, and other big venues, according to Philadelphia Health Department spokesperson James Garrow. If a neighborhood doesn’t have a big venue, the city may set up mobile vaccination units with specially trained staff.

So far, thousands of Philly residents, mostly health care workers not affiliated with hospitals, have been vaccinated against COVID at a mass vaccination clinic located at Philadelphia Convention Center. This site was run by Philly Fighting COVID.

To pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine, residents can submit their contact information and some personal details including age, occupation and health condition, on the newly launched city-run website: https://covid-vaccine-interest.phila.gov/. You will be contacted about an appointment when the vaccine is available to you.  Continue Reading

Philadelphia residents can now pre-register for the coronavirus vaccine through a new website run by the city.

Through the website, the Philadelphia Department of Health will gather information, such as contact and some personal information, from those who are interested in receiving the vaccine. Then those who had pre-registered will be contacted about scheduling an appointment when the vaccine becomes available to them. It may take weeks or even months before this happens, depending on the vaccine supply in the city and the person’s age/occupation/health condition.

To access the website, click here: https://covid-vaccine-interest.phila.gov/.  Continue Reading

As most healthcare workers and nursing home residents in the city have received their COVID-19 shots, Philadelphia is ready to move to vaccinating people in the next priority group (Phase 1B) as early as this week, according to today’s announcement by Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

The priority in this group will be given to people considered at the highest risk, such as people over the age of 75 and those with high-risk health conditions – cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and patients who have had an organ transplant – according to the announcement. This group will expand later to include more health conditions.

People in the high-risk group will receive invitations from hospitals and federally qualified health centers to begin their vaccinations.  Continue Reading

The city is lifting some more coronavirus restrictions imposed on businesses on Nov. 20 due to a spike in new cases. Starting this Saturday, Jan. 16, limited indoor dining at restaurants is allowed to resume. Restaurants can reopen at 25 percent capacity and are allowed to seat only up to four people from the same household at one table. Indoor catering events and entertainment are still not allowed.

“Everyone must wear a mask at all times, especially when they are sitting and eating,” Philadelphia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said on Tuesday when announcing loosening of indoor dining restrictions. Here’s what this means:  Continue Reading

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