Coronavirus Philadelphia: City Suffering First Real Economic Blow Due To Pandemic

Natasha Brown reports.

MENDED TALK TO GO MORTGAGECOMPANIES AND LANDLORDS IF YOUARE STRUGGLING.THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIAIS BRACING FOR MAJOR REOPENPROTEST, TOMORROW, COMES ASMAYOR KENNEY CRUNCHES THENUMBERS.NEW FIGURES SHOW JUST HOWBADLY COVID-19 IS DAMAGINGCITY FINANCES.STORY NOW FROM NATASHA BROWN.REPORTER: CONTINUE SHUTDOWN OF BUSINESSES INPHILADELPHIA IS DEALING THECITY ITS FIRST REAL ECONOMICBLOW.APRIL COLLECTIONS TOTALED385 MILLION-DOLLAR, WHICH IS47 PERCENT LOWER THEN THEPREVIOUS APRIL.REPORTER: CITY OFFICIALSSAY TREMENDOUS DROP INECONOMIC ACTIVITY IS TO BEEXPECT, AS THE STATE CONTINUESSTAY AT HOME ORDERS TOMITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.WITH NO END IN SIGHT AS TOWHEN PHILADELPHIA'S NONEESSENTIAL BUSINESSES WILL OPENPROTESTS ARE PLANNED FORFRIDAY FOR FOLKS CALLING ONTHE SIT TOY REOPEN.WHATEVER PROTEST WE WILLHAVE, WE WILL TREAT WITH FIRSTAMENDMENT RESPECT AS LONG ASPEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING THEIRVIEWS IN A REASONABLE WAY ANDNOT DAMAGING PROPERTY ORHURTING ANYONE ELSE WHICH IDON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN.SO WE WILL SEE HOW IT ROLLSOUT.OUR CIVIL AFFAIRS FOLKS ANDOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AREEXTREMELY CAPABLE OFFHANDELINGTHESE.WE HAVE BEEN HANDLING PROTESTSFOR QUITE SOMETIME.REPORTER: DEMONSTRATORSPLAN TO DRIVE AROUND CITY HALLAT NOONAN MAY EIGHTH, DAYOTHER PARTS OF THE STATE WILLMOVE IN THE REOPENING PHASE.CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS SAYPHILADELPHIA IS MOVING IN THERIGHT DIRECTION, HOWEVERSLOWLY FOR SOME, LESS POSITIVECASES ARE BEING REPORTED.THE EPIDEMIC IS LOOKING BETINNER SEVERAL WAYS.SO HERE ARE THE DETAILS.WE HAVE HAD 350 CASES OF THECORONAVIRUS INFECTIONDIAGNOSED IN PHILADELPHIARESIDENTS IN THE PAST 24HOURS, BRINGING US TO 17,047SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THEEPIDEMIC.THE TREND AND NUMBER OF CASESARE CLEARLY DOWNWARD ANDPICKING UP SPEED IN THE WAY ITHAS GONE DONE.ALL OF THE DATA SAYS WE AREMOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.OUR ACTIONS WE ARE DIAGNOSISRIGHT NOW ARE SLOWING THE