good afternoon since Friday, May the fifteenth, we have seen a 11 percent increase that confirmed over 19 cases here in Baltimore City. As of this morning, the city has 4002 reported cases for the six people hospitalized with Cobra, 19 and 202 deaths that is 202 families in our city grieving and I agree with them over the loss of their loved ones. I'm up here at least three times a week to ensure our residents have the most up to date accurate information so they in turn. Make smart and informed decisions for themselves and their families. We remain focus on continue to scale up our response to the emergency to ensure residents of our city have the resources and support they need at this time. We continue to leverage the wealth of medical and public health expertise right here in the city of Baltimore, I wanna remind residents that they are encouraged to call their doctor or 31 for Corona virus symptoms screening and to be connected to a position. For assessment last week, we launched Mobile testing initiative with three sites across the city Last week. I also officially extended the local stay at home order for Baltimore City. This means that all residents are required to remain at home unless they have to go out for an essential work related job or task I keep hearing there was confusion around my announcement last week, so let me be very clear. Baltimore is still under a stay at home order. There has been no. In business, being able to reopen and no lifting of restrictions on non-essential activities today, Maryland health officials announced 1784 new cases a single day high for the state and 60 more deaths. The city recorded 113 new cases and nine deaths still showing percentage increases in both areas and the positivity rate for tests is holding steady in the city at 20 percent. Baltimore City we. And we'll be guided by the data and signs that is the only way I can be responsive to resident that it is safe for them to return to normal activities even while maintaining social conditioning. This decision has been made at the close consultation with our public health experts almost city has simply not in the position to safely reopen at this time to get there, we must significantly increase testing capacity in order to meet guidelines established by public health experts, please. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to be able to tell our residents that is safe to resume businesses and other activities, but we're not there and I would be negligent in doing so first. I wanna thank Governor Hogan for committing up to 500 tests per week to Baltimore City. We're looking forward to receiving these tests again based on Baltimore City's population where Health Organization guidelines indicate roughly 2700 to 27 to 28 hundred tests. Should be completed per day. We're not there yet and the most recent full cycle of testing the average number of tests conducted per day was 570 - one so as you can see even with this new commitment from the governor, there's a large disparity between where we are currently and where the CDC God is recommended. we'll be at to reopen safely. I'm hopeful that the state will continue to step up and help with our testing capacity but the simple truth. That right now today, we need more tests to safely reopen. We also need to see a sustained decrease in cases and death so far. the number of cases of death have continued to increase. We cannot live the stay at home or until these increases stock, then add to the fact that 83 percent of the city hospital ICU beds are currently in use a number that remains stubbornly high all of the data just reinforce my position that Baltimore City is not ready to reopen yet today, I'm. To announce the Baltimore City, let's take a steps to increase our testing capacity on our own. The Baltimore City Health Department has gotten a lab certification so that we can begin the process our own test and expedite this whole process and while we're here to announce expansion to our tested our capabilities, our average daily rate is not even a quarter of the approximately 2700 tests per day, the experts recommend I know I probably sound like a broken. Record because I keep saying the same message every week, but it's that important we need everyone to stay home unless you need to go out for Central reasons if you must go out for such a reason, everyone should be wearing a face covering this covering isn't for you. It is to protect everyone you come in contact with it represent that you care about your fellow residents and their well-being and I wanna thank the majority of Baltimoreans who have heeded the warnings and follow the guidance. You are the reason we have made progress flatten the curve, but we need everyone to stay focus. A diligent as restrictions become relax, we cannot stress this enough, avoiding hospitals and health care facilities when possible can actually save lives. Now I will ask for City Commission Letitia dessa to update you on our response and our work to support the residents of Baltimore. Good afternoon. Thank you for your leadership during the pandemic this past weekend, we saw pictures on social media and her reports of massive gatherings around the city on the day. Governor Hogan announced that the rest of the state was moving to a safer at home model. Let me take a moment to remind residents that Baltimore City remains under a stay at home order locally, we have yet to see the levels of testing availability and decreases in New covid-, 19 cases necessary to safely consider reopening. Businesses and lifting the stay at home order massive gatherings in the absence of a vaccine with disregard for social distancing and face coverings is one of the most effective ways to spread disease strain our hospital resources and dramatically increase our case counts for the safety of our city residents, especially our most vulnerable population. I urge all residents to continue to stay at home unless for an essential reason. as mayor young noted today, I am pleased to announce that the Baltimore City health. Has entered into a new partnership with lab logic, This will dramatically increase our testing capacity for Kofi, 19 right here in Baltimore City with this partnership, the Baltimore City Health Department will soon be able to analyze Covid- 19 test kits in our own Labs. In addition, we have secured 18019 test kits for Baltimore City residents. These tests will be deployed in our community sites across the city and will serve as a way to. Expand our Mobile testing capacity to more neighborhoods in addition to expanding our testing capacity, contact tracing remains a vital component to our fight against Kofi. 19. Our contact tracing teams still need to see full participation from Baltimore City residents who have been contacted as a reminder contact tracing is the Baltimore City Health Department's way to inform residents that they have been exposed to Corona virus as well as to determine who that resident may have come in contact with while they were able to spread disease on this call. We also provide critical information about community resources how to self isolate and how to limit further spread of disease to your family, friends and loved ones. Our team is still reporting that some residents are choosing not to answer the call or refusing to provide all the details that they're being asked. Please answer the phone when you get the contacts racing calls, please answer the questions honestly and be sure to provide information that the contact traces are asking for these calls are confidential. And we would never ask residents for personal information like Social Security number credit card information or immigration status. We will leave a voicemail so please if you screen your calls, check your voicemail and call us back again. I cannot stress enough. contact tracing remains the best tool to health Department has in the absence of a vaccine to reduce the spread of disease and we cannot be successful unless residents are taking these calls seriously, it is vital that every single. Resident continues to follow the stay at home order as outlined by Mayor Young and stays at home in less for an essential reason it is necessary that every resident continue to practice social distancing continue wearing face coverings when in public settings and provide the necessary information to our contact Tracers if you're contacted all of us working together is what allows for the city to safely move forward and eventually lift our stay at home. Thank you. Thank you Doctor Sessa and now we're gonna take a few questions. mayor young do you have any thoughts on expanding testing to asymptomatic people which the state announced today will that help the city get to a place where we're ready to reopen. We wanna test everybody. I'll let the health Commission to come she is charged with doing that type of thing she can answer that. So it was very young, not that we wanna expand our testing capacity to be able to test anyone who symptomatic or anyone who's seemed appropriate for testing. that includes a symptomatic folks who maybe have had exposures or who work on the front lines. and so I know you talk about how important social distance is I know over the weekend there was an issue. Maybe I think in Phil's point, there are a lot of people outside as the weather gets warmer, you know what's your message to people. you know that it's still important to stay inside and social distance. It's it's still important to do that until our health professionals tell us otherwise to stay at home order is still in the fact, and I know what happened down in Fells Point and to the credit of about. Department They went down there and peacefully disperse the crowd and that's what we want. We don't want to cause any commotion or disruption. We ask some people nicely and peacefully to please respect the social conditioning and leave. Have any thoughts on any restaurants or businesses that seem to be kind of wanting to move forward and open up Despite your ruling? Will there be any additional enforcement especially over the Memorial Day weekend? Well, you know the governor's order has not extended anything to restaurants and it's still stay you know, stay home order for me as mayor and to violate that it's breaking the law. My last question is that we understand that there are discussions being held at different levels about major League baseball returning. do you have any thoughts on baseball being played in Baltimore this summer? Whether they're fans there or not well. I'm hoping that we have really got out of the covid- 19 epidemic and I'm hoping that we can have baseball games and concerts again. but right now we're following the direction of the health professionals and data to drive all of the.