WITH FALL JUST AROUND THE
CORNER, PHILADELPHIA OFFICIALS
ARE MAKING MOVES TO HELP KEEP
THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES
DOWN.
JOINING US NOW LIVE THIS
MORNING, IT'S PHILADELPHIA
HEALTH COMMISSIONER DR. THOMAS
FARLEY.
DR. FARLEY THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
FIRST WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
NEW GUIDELINES JUST ANNOUNCED
FOR SPORTS AFFECTING THOUSANDS
OF YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL
PLAYERS, CONTACT SPORTS OR
SPORTS THAT ARE DEEMED HIGH RISK
INCLUDING FOOTBALL AND SOCCER.
THEY CAN PRACTICE, BUT THEY
CAN'T PLAY GAMES.
SO A LOT OF PARENTS WANT TO
KNOW, HOW DID THE CITY AND
HEALTH OFFICIALS REACH THIS
DECISION?
WELL, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE
RISK OF STUDENTS, CHILDREN,
PASSING THE INFECTION FROM ONE
TO ANOTHER, AND IT'S A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT GROUPS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND CITIES HAVE THOUGHT
ABOUT WHAT SPORTS ARE MORE
RISKY.
IT'S THINGS LIKE TACKLE FOOTBALL
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF CONTACT
BETWEEN PEOPLE, A LOT OF SPREAD
AND RESPIRATORY SECRETION AND SO
WE DON'T THINK THOSE ARE SAFE
AND SO WE MADE THAT POLICY THAT
PREVENTS HIGH RISK AND CONTACT
SPORTS COMPETITION, ALLOW THEM
TO PRACTICE SO THEY CAN HONE
THEIR SKILLS AND ALLOW
NON-CONTACT SPORTS LIKE CROSS
COUNTRY AND TRACK AND FIELD AND
CREW, THEY CAN PRACTICE AND HAVE
COMPETITIONS.
Reporter: SO WE'VE BEEN
HEARING FROM A LOT OF PARENTS
WHO SAID THAT THEIR KIDS HAVE
BEEN PLAYING FOR CLUB TEAMS
DURING THE SUMMER AND HAVEN'T
HAD ANY ISSUES AND A LOT ARE
STARTING TO EXPRESS CONCERN
ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE
ATHLETES THAT AREN'T ABLE TO
PLAY.
YOU KNOW, SPORTS IS SUCH A GREAT
OUTLET FOR STUDENTS AND KIDS.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THOSE
KIDS WHO AREN'T ABLE TO PLAY?
YOU KNOW, THIS IS TOUGH FOR
THEM.
I APPRECIATE THAT PROBLEM, AND
I'M SURE THAT PARENTS ARE NOT
HAPPY ABOUT THAT, AND I'M SURE
STUDENTS ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT
THAT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DON'T WANT
THE CHILDREN TO GET THE
INFECTION, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO
BRING IT HOME TO THEIR PARENTS
AND THE FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF
THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE OUTSIDE,
A LOT OF SKILLS THAT CHILDREN
NEED TO BUILD IN THAT SPORTS SO
WE THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS
AND THEY CAN GET SOME BENEFITS,
MENTALLY, AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY,
WITH THAT KIND OF PRACTICING.
Reporter: ALL RIGHT.
SWITCHING GEARS HERE NOW YOU
GUYS HAVE BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE
EYE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
ESPECIALLY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
WHERE WE'VE SEEN THAT INCREASE
IN POSITIVE CASES.
A LOT OF THOSE CASES WE'RE TOLD
PRIMARILY CONNECTED TO
OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING AND EARLIER
THIS WEEK THE DEPARTMENT HAD A
TESTING CLINIC ON TEMPLE'S
CAMPUS.
RIGHT.
WHAT OTHER STEPS ARE BEING
TAKEN TO GET AHEAD OF THE
OUTBREAK THERE.
WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSE WITH
THE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS FIRST
TO MAKE TESTING AVAILABLE AS YOU
SAY, THEY ALSO DO CONTACT
TRACING SO WE TALK TO THE
STUDENTS WHO HAVE A POSITIVE
TEST AND SEE WHO THEY'VE BEEN
EXPOSED TO AND TRY TO HAVE THOSE
PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS SO
THEY DON'T PASS THE INFECTION
FURTHER ON.
THEN THE UNIVERSITY, AS YOU
KNOW, SWITCHED TO ALL ON LINE
CLASSES FOR TWO WEEKS WHILE
THEY -- AND DETERMINE WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO OVER THE LONG TERM.
WE HOPE THAT COMBINATION REALLY
QUELLS THE OUTBREAK, DEFINITELY
IS A LOT OF CASES RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO GET ANY
WORSE.
ALL RIGHT.
SO NEXT WEEK, RESTAURANTS IN THE
CITY WILL BE REOPENING FOR
INDOOR DINING AT 25% CAPACITY.
RIGHT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
AND IT'S ALSO THE UNOFFICIAL END
OF THE SUMMER THIS WEEKEND.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
SO AS WE HEAD INTO THE FALL, HOW
ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE
NUMBERS HERE IN THE CITY, AND
WHAT WILL YOU BE LOOKING AT
ZEROING IN ON THAT AS WE GET
INTO THIS FALL SEASON?
WELL, YOU KNOW IT'S HARD TO
PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
WITH THIS VIRUS IN GENERAL.
MOST RESPIRATORY VIRUS TENDS TO
GET WORSE IN THE FALL AND THE
WINTER, SO WE NEED TO BE VERY
CAREFUL.
SO WE DO ALLOW INDOOR DINING,
BUT WITH SOME VERY SHARP SAFETY
RESTRICTIONS, LIKE 25% CAPACITY
AS YOU YOU SAID, SERVERS HAVE TO
WEAR MASKS AS WELL AS FACE
SHIELDS AND MORE THAN FOUR
PEOPLE AT A TABLE, TABLES MORE
THAN SIX FEET APART.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON THAT
AND OTHERWISE.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME
INCREASES AROUND THE COUNTRY,
PARTICULARLY IN COLLEGE TOWNS,
AND I THINK THE TREND IS
PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO BE UP
THAN DOWN OVER THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS.
IT'S VERY UNPREDICTABLE.
I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE, BUT WE
STILL NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
Reporter: AND YOU ARE URGING
PEOPLE TO GET THEIR FLU SHOTS AS
WELL.
ABSOLUTELY.
PEOPLE SHOULD GET THEIR FLU
SHOTS.
THIS IS ONE THING THAT WE CAN
CONTROL.
THE FLU IS A SAFE VACCINE, AN
EFFECT HE HAVE VACCINE.
EVEN IF IT DOESN'T TOTALLY
PREVENT YOU FROM GETTING THE FLU
IT PREVENTS YOU FROM GETTING A
SEVERE CASE OF THE FLU SO THE
FLU VACCINE IS AVAILABLE AND
MANY PHARMACIES AROUND THE CITY,
MOST DOCTOR'S OFFICES, PEOPLE
SHOULD START PLANNING NOW HOW
