This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
City and District officials in Philadelphia released a list of 30 schools and 50 recreation sites Saturday at which families can access meals for the two weeks that schools will be closed.
Breakfast and lunch will be available for pickup at schools between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. In addition, recreation facilities and gyms will be open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Children under 18 can come for some organized activities and receive a meal.
Officials stressed that these centers “are not a day-care substitution,” but a place for children to stay occupied and have a meal.
Libraries will close to the public at the end of today, said Managing Director Brian Abernathy.
City Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a briefing that there are now four positive novel coronavirus cases in Philadelphia and that of the 15 test results yesterday, 12 were negative and three positive.
He could not say how many test kits are available, but said that the number is increasing and that in addition to Quest and LabCorp, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Hospital have some testing capacity. He could not say how the supply compares to the demand.
Farley declined to make predictions or characterize the trends so far.
“We would expect cases to rise, but we can’t say how quickly or how long,” he said. “We certainly expect things to get worse from here,” but he would not speculate on how much.
Based on the current situation, Philadelphians should “continue to go about their business,” Farley said, adding that there are no plans to shut the city’s main tourist sites.
Asked what people should do with their Saturday nights, Mayor Kenney urged people to patronize restaurants and leave big tips.
“We have to find a way to continue moving forward,” the mayor said.
For updates, monitor the District and city websites.
The schools where meals will be available are:
| Dr. Ethel Allen School | 3200 W. Lehigh Avenue (19132) |
| Add B. Anderson School | 1034 S. 60th Street (19143) |
| John Barry Elementary School | 5900 Race Street (19139) |
| Mary McLeod Bethune School | 3301 Old York Road (19140) |
| Cayuga School | 4344-4358 N. 5th Street (19140) |
| Jay Cooke Elementary School | 1300 W. Louden Street (19141) |
| William Cramp School | 3449 N. Mascher Street (19140) |
| A.L. Fitzpatrick School | 11061 Knights Road (19154) |
| Benjamin Franklin School | 5737 Rising Sun Avenue (19120) |
| Edward Gideon School | 2817 W. Glenwood Avenue (19121) |
| Andrew Hamilton School | 5640 Spruce Street (19139) |
| William H. Hunter School | 2400 N. Front Street (19133) |
| John B. Kelly School | 5116 Pulaski Street (19144) |
| Martin Luther King High School | 6100 Stenton Avenue (19138) |
| Alain Locke School | 4550 Haverford Avenue (19139) |
| William H. Loesche School | 595 Tomlinson Road (19116) |
| William C. Longstreth School | 5700 Willows Avenue (19143) |
| James R. Ludlow School | 550 W. Master Street (19122) |
| Mayfair School | 3001 Princeton Avenue (19149) |
| Delaplaine McDaniel School | 1801 S. 22nd Street (19145) |
| General George G. Meade School | 1600 N. 18th Street (19121) |
| James Rhoads School | 4901 Parrish Street (19139) |
| Roxborough High School | 6498 Ridge Avenue (19128) |
| George Sharswood School | 2300 S. 2nd Street (19148) |
| Solomon Solis-Cohen School | 7001 Horrocks Street (19149) |
| Allen M. Stearne School | 1655 Unity Street (19124) |
| James J. Sullivan School | 5300 Ditman Street (19124) |
| Tilden Middle School | 6601 Elmwood Avenue (19142) |
| Vare-Washington Elementary School | 1198 S. 5th Street (19147) |
| John H. Webster School | 3400 Frankford Avenue (19134) |
The recreation facilities and gyms that will be open are:
| Athletic Recreation Center | 1400 N. 26th Street (19121) |
| Belfield Recreation Center | 2109 W. Chew Avenue (19138) |
| Bridesburg Recreation Center | 4601 Richmond Street (19137) |
| Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center | 2551 N. 22nd Street (19132) |
| Christy Recreation Center | 728 S. 55th Street (19143) |
| Clemente Playground | 1800 Wallace Street (19130) |
| Cobbs Creek Recreation Center | 280 Cobbs Creek Parkway (19139) |
| Cohocksink Recreation Center | 2901 Cedar Street (19134) |
| Daniel E Rumph II Recreation Center Playground | 100 E. Johnson Street (19144) |
| Dorothy Emanuel Playground | 8500 Pickering Street (19150) |
| East Passyunk Recreation Center | 1025 Mifflin Street (19148) |
| Francis Myers Recreation Center | 5801 Kingsessing Avenue (19143) |
| Feltonville Recreation Center | 221 E Wyoming Ave # 231 (19120) |
| Fox Chase Recreation Center | 7901 Ridgeway Street (19111) |
| Gambrel Recreation Center | 1900 Wakeling Street (19124) |
| Hank Gathers Recreation Center | 2501-2519 W. Diamond Street (19121) |
| Guerin Recreation Center | 2201 S. 16th Street (19145) |
| Happy Hollow Playground | 4800 Wayne Avenue (19144) |
| Hawthorne Cultural Center | 1200 Carpenter Street (19147) |
| Houseman Playground | 5091 Summerdale Avenue (19124) |
| J. Finnegan Playground | 6801 Grovers Avenue (19142) |
| Jardel Recreation Center | 1400 Cottman Avenue (19111) |
| Kendrick Recreation Center | 5822-5824 Ridge Avenue (19128) |
| Kingsessing Recreation Center | 4901 Kingsessing Avenue (19143) |
| Lawncrest Recreation Center | 6000 Rising Sun Avenue (19111) |
| Lee Cultural Center | 328 Haverford Avenue (19104) |
| Lonnie Young Recreation Center | 1100 E. Chelten Avenue (19138) |
| Marian Anderson Recreation Center | 740 S. 17th Street (19146) |
| Max Meyers Recreation Center | 1601 Hellerman Street (19149) |
| McVeigh Recreation Center | 400-464 E. Ontario Street (19134) |
| Miles Mack Playground | 732 N. 36th St #66 (19104) |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center | 2101 Cecil B. Moore Avenue (19121) |
| Murphy Recreation Center | 300 Shunk Street (19148) |
| Olney Recreation Center | 100 E. Godfrey Avenue (19120) |
| Palmer Playground | 3035 Comly Road (19154) |
| Palumbo Recreation Center | 725 S. 10th Street (19147) |
| Pelbano Recreation Center | 8101 Bustleton Avenue (19152) |
| Piccoli Playground | 1501 E. Bristol Street (19124) |
| Rivera Recreation Center | 3201 N. 5th Street (19140) |
| Samuel Recreation Center | 3539 Gaul St, Philadelphia, PA 19134 |
| Shepard Recreation Center | 5700 Haverford Avenue (19131) |
| Simons Recreation Center | 7200 Woolston Avenue (19138) |
| Starr Garden Playground | 600-644 Lombard Street (19147) |
| Towey Playground | 1832 N. Howard St., Philadelphia, PA, 19122 |
| Tustin Recreation Center | 5901-5929 W. Columbia Avenue (19151) |
| Vare Recreation Center | 2600 Morris Street (19145) |
| Vogt Playground | 4131 Unruh Avenue (19135) |
| Water Tower Recreation Center | 209-299 E. Hartwell Lane (19118) |
| Wharton Square | 2300 Wharton Street (19146) |
| Zeihler Playground | 200-264 E. Olney Avenue (19120) |