Coronavirus Philadelphia: Mayor Jim Kenney ‘Not Going To Sacrifice People’s Lives’ In Reopening City Early

Natasha Brown reports.

ONCE AGAIN, FANTASTIC, GREATSALUTE, AND THANK YOU TO ALL.WELL LATE THIS AFTERNOON,WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUSCOORDINATOR DOCTOR DEBRA BIRXTOLD REPORTERS PHILADELPHIASTILL WORKING THROUGHDIFFICULT TIME IN THE VIRUSFIGHT T COMES AS CITY LEADERSFEEL PRESSURE TO REOPEN.NATASHA BROWN HAS YOUR UPDATE.WE WANT --DUELS REOPEN CITIES AROUNDTHE COUNTRY GROWING LOUDEREVEN IN THE MIDST OF RISINGCORONAVIRUS CASES, AND DAILYDEATH TOLLS.AWFUL LOT OF QUESTIONSABOUT RE-OPENING PHILADELPHIA.EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHENWE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO.THAT WILL EVERYONE WANTS TOKNOW EVEN I WANT TO KNOW WHENTO DO.THAT WILL BUT, I CAN'T SAY,BECAUSE I CAN'T PREDICT THEFUTURE.WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUTTHIS VIRUS, STILL LEARNINGABOUT THIS EPIDEMIC, THE VIRUSHAS MORE SURPRISES IN STOREFOR US.SO SEE HOW IT GOES.WE ARE NOT GOING TOSACRIFICE PEOPLE'S LIVES,THERE IS NO SUCH THING ASCOLLATERAL LIVES.THEY'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS, ALLPART OF OUR COUNTRY, STATE ANDSIT AND WE WON'T SACRIFICEANYBODY INTENTIONALLY.PHILADELPHIA REPORTS 60 NEWCOVID-19 DEATHS ON WEDNESDAY,BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 803.ALTHOUGH HEALTH OFFICIALS SAYTHE CITY APPEARS TO BE ON THEDOWN SLOPE OF CASES IN RECENTDAYS, THEY'RE LEER TOY PROJECTANY TIME FRAME ON WHEN THESHUTTERED BUSINESSES COULDREOPEN.THERE ARE PARTS OF THECOUNTRY WHERE CASES ARERISING.AND THERE IS VIRUS SORT OFFOUND IN THE POPULATION,DECLINING POPULATION, BUTTHEN, AND SO WE CAN'TGUARANTEE EVEN PHILADELPHIA.MAYOR JIM KENNEY SAID HE'SAWARE OF PLANNED PROTEST ATCITY HALL ON FRIDAY, FROMTHOSE WHO HAVE GROWN WEARY OFSTAY AT HOME ORDERS, AND THEECONOMIC IMPACT THE STATESHUTDOWN HAS HAD ONPHILADELPHIA.MAKE SURE EVERYONE REMAINSSAFE.SIT HEALTH OFFICIALS URGINGRESIDENTS TO STAY THE COURSECONTINUING SAFE I GOGUIDELINES UNTIL COVID-19RELEASES ITS GRIP ON THE CITY.WE ARE CLEARLY MOVING INTHE RIGHT DIRECTION.OUR ACTIONS ARE VERY MUCH ONTHE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS OUR