Read the latest Philadelphia-area updates here
Workers at the Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters are being told to work, even though they say they are not “life-sustaining” and that they are being put at risk. Also, while young people may think they are largely safe from the deadly effects of the coronavirus, many of Philadelphia’s cases are younger than we might expect. Read those stories and more in our ongoing live coverage of the coronavirus.
Senate unanimously passes historic $2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday night approved a $2 trillion economic rescue package 96-0 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The House was expected to vote on the package Friday morning.
The legislation would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits, and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home.
It would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year, and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child.
— Robert Moran
Port Richmond Wawa employee tests positive for COVID-19
A Wawa employee at a store in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond section has tested positive for the coronavirus, Wawa announced Wednesday.
The company did not state when the employee last worked.
The store, located at 2535 Aramingo Ave., is closed until further notice to undergo a deep cleaning and disinfecting, the company said in a news release.
“We will do everything we can to support our associate, including providing paid time off, and take all necessary steps to monitor, safeguard and protect all our associates and customers,” Wawa said.
— Ellie Rushing
As the coronavirus threat looms, Philadelphia will follow New Jersey and New York City in a push to cut the jail population
Jails across the nation are rushing to reduce their populations as they brace for the arrival of the coronavirus, which is expected to spread quickly in correctional settings that house many medically vulnerable people.
New York City has freed more than 300 people, Los Angeles a reported 1,700. And the New Jersey Supreme Court over the weekend approved the release of as many as 1,000 county inmates.
In Philadelphia — where the courts are closed at least until April 6 and judges have not been hearing requests for parole or bail reductions — District Attorney Larry Krasner said judges have now agreed on a process to begin reviewing those motions, with the aim of reducing a city jail population that currently stands near 4,400.
— Samantha Melamed
Starbucks offering free coffee to health-care and emergency workers
Starbucks announced Wednesday that health-care and emergency workers will receive free tall-sized brewed coffee – hot or iced – through May 3.
CEO Kevin Johnson spilled the beans in a letter posted on the company’s website. "I hope to see many business leaders across this country doing all they can to retain jobs, pay employees, continue benefits, and demonstrate compassion as they make critical decisions. Not every decision is a financial one,” Johnson wrote.
He noted that the experience the company gained dealing with the coronavirus in China is now being put to use in the U.S.
In addition to free drinks, the Starbucks Foundation is supporting first responders by donating $500,000 to Direct Relief to support the delivery of personal protective equipment and essential medical items, and to Operation Gratitude to deliver 50,000 care packages to the workers.
There are nearly 360 Starbucks in Pennsylvania and more than 260 in New Jersey. The stores are providing only drive-thru service amid state-mandated shutdowns of nonessential businesses aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly virus. Employees are being paid for the next 30 days even if they choose to stay home, the company said.
— Mensah M. Dean
Chestnut Hill residents come together to sing — at a social distance
On the Nextdoor app, Michael Robb of Chestnut Hill asked if people would come to Winston Park in Chestnut Hill and sing to his neighbor’s 16-year-old daughter, Azeezah Green. Several residents showed up and sang Happy Birthday and then they sang “Imagine” by John Lennon. They all said they were just glad to have a moment with other people.
— Michael Bryant
Pa. lawmakers approve $50 million in emergency coronavirus funding for needed medical supplies
Pennsylvania lawmakers approved $50 million in state funding Wednesday to purchase medical equipment and supplies for hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency workers, though it’s unclear how quickly it can get some of the most in-demand items.
Health systems and nursing homes across the state are pleading for supplies, in particular N95 masks and ventilators, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise exponentially. The situation is expected to deteriorate in the coming weeks.
The legislation now goes to Gov. Tom Wolf. If signed into law, the administration will have the discretion to appropriate the funds and supplies directly to health care systems.
— Gillian McGoldrick, LancasterOnline
Fauci: Homemade face masks should be used ‘only under desperate situations’
As medical supplies run short, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, cautioned against the use of homemade cloth masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The masks should be necessary “only under desperate situations,” Fauci said during a news conference Wednesday.
He said that because of the significant number of masks coming into the U.S. and being distributed in the most impacted areas, like New York, cloth masks shouldn’t be necessary.
“Obviously if you don’t have a mask and you need a mask... You do what you can,” he said. “But I don’t see that as a necessity right now”
— Ellie Rushing
Trump touted an anti-malaria drug as a treatment for coronavirus. Now, Philly patients who need it can’t get it.
After President Trump started touting the drug first used against malaria as a treatment for COVID-19 on Twitter and TV press conferences, new prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, another version of the anti-malaria drug, began flooding into pharmacies.
People who take the medication to treat chronic autoimmune conditions — a use approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — are struggling to get their prescriptions filled and leading medical associations are condemning inappropriate prescribing and stockpiling.
— Sarah Gantz
New Jersey coffee shop offers ‘Pay It Forward’ window, no questions asked
Like most local eateries, the Treehouse Coffee Shop and Cafe, a neighborhood institution in downtown Audubon, N.J., has adapted to business restrictions brought on by the coronavirus by switching from comfy living room seating and kitchen tables to a takeout window.
But last week, the mom and pop cafe, located on Merchant Street for the past decade, stepped up their community game with a “Pay It Forward” sign in the window, so customers can buy something for someone else. The barista writes whatever is purchased on a sticky note to hang in the window, and when someone else comes along and “needs some encouragement or needs some food or drink,” the barista will take down that note and give the item to them for free, “no questions asked! No judgments made!”
Manager Casey Colgate said the reaction was immediate and overwhelming. Customers started adding to it right away.
“They think it is a really awesome idea,” said Colgate, who made two notes of her own and got her mom to participate. So far, more people are donating than redeeming.
"It’s a way to look forward, this is a hard time for everybody, she said.”
— Tom Gralish
New Jersey school nurses bought masks to protect against Ebola. Now, that stockpile is needed for coronavirus.
With masks for hospital staff in desperately short supply, New Jersey’s head of emergency management sent a dire plea to public school superintendents statewide: Please provide any unused personal protective equipment that school nurses stockpiled during the 2014 Ebola virus scare.
“We’re not asking for it all, but knowing that the PPE that they purchased in the wake of Ebola is sitting there, this is, as the governor says, ‘all hands on deck,' " New Jersey’s police superintendent, Col. Patrick Callahan, who also serves as the state’s director of emergency management, said earlier this week.
On Monday, as coronavirus cases climbed to 2,000 in the nation’s most densely populated state, Callahan sent a memo to superintendents in all 584 school districts: “The shortage of PPE is dire, and it not only puts our healthcare workers and other first responders at risk, but it also puts vulnerable patients and victims at risk. New Jersey schools can help."
— Wendy Ruderman, Kristen A. Graham
Pennsylvania lawmakers cut red tape, allow distilleries to craft hand sanitizer
Since the coronavirus caused a run on hand sanitizer causing the product to disappear from store shelves, distilleries in the Philadelphia area and in other parts of the country have been converting their operations to make sanitizer using a recipe posted on the CDC website.
Some, including the Boardroom Distillery in Lansdale and Eight Oaks Farm Distillery in New Tripoli, Pa. are giving bottles away free or for low cost to first responders and civilians.
That piecemeal approach is set to grow in Pennsylvania, two members of Congress and two state senators, announced Wednesday.
More than 130 small craft distilleries in the state will now be able to make hand sanitizer with the elimination of regulatory barriers and red tape at the federal and state levels, U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, and Brendan Boyle, and state Sens. Vincent Hughes and Tim Kearney, said in a statement.
The four lawmakers worked with Rob Cassell, a Philadelphia-based distillery owner and operator, to coordinate efforts statewide which led to the removal of regulatory restrictions from the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of the Treasury.
The lawmakers also helped secure start-up capital to convert these facilities and supply the necessary ingredients and packaging. The initial start-up capital came from private investors, including David Adelman, CEO of Campus Apartments and Darco Capital, LP; Osagie Imasogie, senior managing partner of PIPV Capital; and Todd Strine, chief financial officer and owner of Keystone Quality Transport. The changes did not need to be voted on by Congress nor the state Legislature, said Gabby Richards, spokesperson for Scanlon.
“This is more of navigating the FDA restrictions that exist in a time of crisis,” she said. “So, it was, how do we work within the system that we have to make sure the distilleries are able to do this.”
— Mensah M. Dean
Webster Elementary School staff pack grab-and-go meals for Philadelphia students and families
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Philadelphia School District Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. visited John H. Webster Elementary School Wednesday while staff packed grab-and-go meals for distribution to district students and families.
— Monica Herndon
Ocean City closes beaches, boardwalk
Ocean City’s mayor has closed its beaches and boardwalk, encouraging residents to stay home as the coronavirus spreads throughout the region.
“Even with all the directives already in place, it’s clear that not everybody is taking the order to shelter in place seriously. With the weather getting warmer, it will only get worse,” Mayor Jay A. Gillian wrote in a letter to the community. “We have a large senior population, and it’s of utmost importance to take their well-being into consideration.”
Gillian said he understood the impact the closed spaces will have on the Shore town, but that he “will always err on the side of caution.”
Over the weekend, the boardwalk in Ocean City was crowded with people, even as announcements over the loudspeakers urged proper social-distancing. People reported even some screaming matches between locals and second home-owners. Regular surfing beaches were drawing a dozen or more out-of-state cars as well.
Other shore towns, including the Wildwoods, have considered shutting down their boardwalks. Seaside Heights closed its beaches Tuesday, encouraging residents to stay home and stop the spread of the virus.
— Amy Rosenberg, Oona Goodin-Smith
Temple University freezes administrative hiring, looks to cut expenses
Temple University has frozen all administrative hiring and asked every unit to look at areas where expenses could be cut as the school braces for a loss of revenue, due to the coronavirus.
“A major challenge we face in planning for the future is that we do not know how long the current situation will last, or what the total financial implications might be,” President Richard M. Englert and Provost JoAnne A. Epps wrote to the campus.
They also asked every division in the university to plan for a 5% budget cut next year and scrutinize contracts with external vendors, consultants and other groups.
The steps are similar to those the university took in 2008 when the recession hit. Englert and Epps said they also would seek local, state and federal government support.
— Susan Snyder
Pennsylvania looking into ‘soft reopening’ of liquor stores, lawmaker says
State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, a Republican from Centre County, told reporters Wednesday the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board “is looking into a soft reopening” of its stores, which have been closed for more than a week due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is either a possible delivery or possible curbside pick-up kind of thing,” Corman said. “I think the LCB is working on that as we speak. I don’t know that they’ve picked a date as of yet to reopen. I think most states have kept their liquor stores open.”
Corman noted that many states have private liquor store ownership. In Pennsylvania, the PLCB operates about 600 liquor stores and service centers that supply restaurants and bars.
The PLCB has boarded up some of its stores. Some bar and restaurant owners have taken similar measures.
On Wednesday night, the PLCB said it is not looking to reopen stores but was consulting with Gov. Wolf and public health officials.
“We are evaluating the resumption of limited online sales,” said PLCB spokesperson Elizabeth Brassell, in an email. “More information will be made available as we develop and finalize plans to support our employees, licensees, suppliers and customers to the best of our abilities in these uncertain times.”
— Chris Brennan
Nurses are using vacation days from work to be in isolation after coronavirus contact
In a review of 23 health systems around Pennsylvania, more than half, including Einstein Medical Center and Temple University Hospital systems, required nurses and technicians to use their own time for quarantine, according to a survey of members conducted by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents about 8,500 health care workers statewide.
“If I do come back now and I get sick, I have no time accrued,” said one nurse at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point.
— Jason Laughlin
Burlington County reports 3 coronavirus-related deaths, 10 new cases
Burlington County on Wednesday reported that three Mount Laurel residents – ages 80, 85, and 87 – who had tested positive for the coronavirus have died.
Separately, in a statement on Wednesday, officials at Laurel Brook Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Mount Laurel also said that three of the facility’s residents who who were being treated for the coronavirus had died.
Two additional facility residents are being treated for the virus at a regional hospital, Dr. Andrew Blank, Laurel Brook Medical Director, said in the statement.
Five employees at the nursing home have also tested positive for the coronavirus, Blank said.
Burlington County reported 10 new cases of the virus Wednesday, bringing the county’s total to 59.
The new cases included those of a 23-year-old Burlington Township resident and three other persons under age 50, the county said.
— Anthony R. Wood, Stacey Burling
Pennsylvania legislators approve moving primary election to June 2
Pennsylvania’s General Assembly on Wednesday voted unanimously to shift the state’s primary election five weeks into the future, postponing it from April 28 until June 2 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The state House took first action, giving final approval to legislation that also allows county boards of elections to consolidate polling places by up to 60%, allowing the primary to be held with fewer poll workers.
“I think between moving the date back and expanding the ability of our county election officials to cope with this problem that we’ve done a lot of good,” said State Rep. Garth Everett (R., Lycoming), the chair of the House State Government Committee, before the vote.
State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat and minority chairman of the committee, supported the legislation but said “it doesn’t go far enough.” Boyle wanted funding for counties to send every registered voter an application for mail-in ballots, an approach Republicans rejected.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) expressed optimism the situation will have improved by June 2.
“We hope things will have cleared up and we’ll be able to vote in person that day better than we would have on April 28,” he said.
The state Senate then swiftly approved the measure, which has the support of Gov. Wolf. A spokesperson said Wolf would sign it into law.
The vote drew bipartisan praise from Philadelphia’s City Commissioners, who said an April 28 primary “was becoming more and more unrealistic.”
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have taken action so far to alter their election calendars due to the pandemic and more states are still mulling such moves.
— Chris Brennan
Camden diocese to keep schools closed until week after Easter
The 37 Catholic schools in the Camden diocese will remain closed until at least April 20, Bishop Dennis Sullivan announced Wednesday.
Earlier, the diocese had said schools would be closed at least until the end of the month, but given the “escalating” numbers of the coronavirus cases in the state, Sullivan said, the schools would stay shut until after the Easter break.
Sullivan said the bishop is, “well aware that the continued closure of our schools places an enormous burden on parents."
About 12,000 pupils attend the diocesan elementary and high schools.
— Anthony R. Wood
Valley Forge National Historical Park closes all public access
Valley Forge National Historical Park, including all roads, parking lots, trails and open spaces, is closed until further notice, park officials announced Wednesday.
“We have made this difficult decision in order to better protect visitors, park employees and the resources that make this place special,” officials wrote in a Facebook post. “This is a serious crisis and we urge all visitors to understand this.”
Trails, lakes and roads of Pennsylvania’s state parks remain open to the public, but all facilities at the parks and forests, like restrooms and visitors centers, are closed until at least April 30.
The National Park Service announced last week that outdoor spaces would remain open to the public amid the pandemic, but said that it would modify operations for facilities and programs that do not adhere to CDC guidelines.
Valley Forge’s closure comes a few days after Haverford College’s Nature Trail also closed public access after the increased number of visitors were not following social distancing guidelines.
— Ellie Rushing
This is what Philly looks like following ‘stay-at-home’ orders in the coronavirus pandemic
— Inquirer Staff Photographers
Martz Trailways halts buses to Philadelphia, New York City
The Martz Group, the Wilkes-Barre headquartered charter bus company, announced Wednesday that it is suspending service to Philadelphia and New York City for 14 days due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. The last day for service to both cities will be Friday, and April 13 is the target date for the resumption of service, the company said on its website.
“In light of guidance from the federal government that individuals leaving the New York City Metro Area should self-quarantine for 14 days to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and out of an abundance of caution, Martz will discontinue scheduled service into New York City and Philadelphia for two weeks,” the company’s statement said.
“We apologize to our loyal customers who must find alternative means of travel to work during this time. We recognize that many of you are essential employees in life-sustaining businesses and simply cannot work from home. We can assure you that Martz will be here to support our dedicated and valued customers moving forward from this crisis,” the statement said.
The company also provides service to Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., Florida, Maryland and New Jersey.
Customers with questions are asked to visit MartzTrailways.com.
— Mensah M. Dean
Second Montgomery County resident dies due to coronavirus
A second Montgomery County resident, an 84-year-old Abington man with underlying health conditions, has died of the coronavirus, officials announced Wednesday.
Val Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County board of commissioners, said Wednesday that 60 new cases have been confirmed in the county since Tuesday, bringing the total to 219.
Arkoosh, who is a physician with a background in public health, said the patients range in age from 5 to 81. Two are hospitalized, eight are at home, and the status of the rest were unknown as of Wednesday.
Arkoosh also thanked residents for taking seriously the orders to stay at home.
Since the outbreak began, mobility in the county has decreased by an average of 55 %, she said, based on available cell phone data.
Officials have received a few reports of ethnic profiling, and said residents of Asian communities or anyone should call or text 911 if they feel threatened. Law enforcement officials are prepared to charge people with ethnic intimidation, she said.“
You should not hesitate to come forward. We are here to protect everyone,” she said. “We will beat this virus by working together as a community, not by falsely blaming any individual or group.”
— Allison Steele
New Jersey to add Army Corps hospitals, 2,300 hospital beds in fight against coronavirus
The coronavirus crisis continues to rage in New Jersey, with 18 more people added to the statewide death toll, which now stands at 62, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.
Three Mount Laurel residents — one woman and two men, all in their 80s — died Wednesday due to coronavirus, the county said in a press release.
Another 736 people have also tested positive in the Garden State, increasing the statewide caseload to 4,402. Murphy emphasized these numbers will continue to rise, as New Jersey remains second only to New York in the amount of people testing positive for COVID-19.
He acknowledged the coronavirus deal reached by senate lawmakers early Wednesday, which includes $150 billion for state and local assistance, was a welcome sign as the pandemic continues to rage in New Jersey. The amount for states is significantly less than the $100 billion Murphy, along with his counterparts in Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, lobbied for to just assist the four states.
“Is it everything we want, it is not,” Murphy said. “But I’m in the category of let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good."
Murphy announced day care centers will have until Friday to certify with the state they will only serve children of “essential workers” like health care professionals and supermarket clerks, beginning April 1. If they cannot limit their childcare population, they will be asked to close.
Murphy said Wednesday that four temporary hospitals provided by the Army Corps of Engineers will be up and running in a few weeks. The one planned in North Jersey, at the Meadowlands, will be the first to open.
Health officials have finalized plans to add up to 2,300 hospital beds to the state’s capacity, and the Department of Health and Human Services has provided $1.9 million in grant funding to 24 medical centers in New Jersey for medical supplies and increasing their telehealth operations.
The governor emphasized private companies must comply with his order to let all non-essential staff work from home. The hotline where workers can report employers not following Murphy’s orders crashed Tuesday, due to the amount of complaints that were filed.
Murphy made an example of more “knuckleheads” using the crisis to harass others. He said a Union County man, who was being arrested for a domestic violence charge, was additionally cited for harassment because he coughed on police and medical personnel and told them he had the coronavirus.
“We mean business,” Murphy said. “I understand this is not fun.”
— Pranshu Verma
Pennsylvania ‘actively’ purchasing N95 masks, ventilators to combat coronavirus
Pennsylvania is “actively” purchasing N95 masks and ventilators, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Wednesday.
“We have been distributing [personal protective equipment] and masks to hospitals and other health care facilities as needed,” Levine said at a news conference, adding that Pennsylvania is “continuing to get more” from the federal government.
So far, 18 patients with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania have required a ventilator.
If cases continue apace, Gov. Tom Wolf said, “Our hospitals will soon be overwhelmed, so we need to buy time.”
To slow the number of cases, Wolf has expanded his stay-at-home order to 10 counties.
When asked why he hasn’t instituted the order statewide, the governor again said he wants to be “measured.”
Wolf also announced a new loan program for small businesses, the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program.
— Sarah Ann Hughes
State attorneys general call on Amazon, eBay to do more to combat price gouging during coronavirus pandemic
More than two dozen state attorneys general have urged major e-commerce companies including Amazon and eBay to do more to combat price gouging on their websites, as online sellers jack up prices of essential goods during the coronavirus pandemic.
Led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, 33 attorneys general called on the companies to set polices restricting unreasonable price hikes during emergencies, trigger price gouging protections, and create web pages where consumers can file complaints.
“Ripping off consumers by jacking up prices in the middle of a public emergency is against the law and online resellers like Amazon must join in this fight,” Shapiro said in a statement. “These companies form the backbone of online retail and have an obligation to stop illegal price gouging now and put strong practices into place to stop it from happening in the future.”
The letters from the attorneys general, sent to Amazon, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, and Walmart, cite a report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which found examples of price hikes of at least 50% for some hand sanitizers and facemasks.
In a blog post, Amazon said is monitoring for price gouging and removing bad actors, and collaborating with law enforcement to hold price gougers accountable.
— Christian Hetrick
Four N.J. malls to close amid coronavirus pandemic
Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, a Long Island-based real estate investment and management firm, said Wednesday that it would close its four shopping malls in New Jersey amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The malls — the Voorhees Town Center, Phillipsburg Mall, Hamilton Mall, and Liberty Village Outlets in Flemington — would stay closed until further notice. The companies, of which Mason is a subsidiary of Namdar, followed the directive of Gov. Phil Murphy, who ordered that businesses save for essential services such as phone and bike repair and livestock feed stores, close.
Namdar and Mason said it would aim to reopen as soon as possible.
— Katie Park
Philly traffic court to reopen for residents to make payments, retrieve impounded vehicles
The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, or the Philadelphia court system, announced Wednesday that its Traffic Division, at 800 Spring Garden St., will be open Monday, March 30, and Wednesday, April 1, from 9 a.m. until noon so people can make payments, establish payment plans, and retrieve impounded vehicles.
All other city courts remain closed through April 3 or until further order because of the coronavirus pandemic.
— Julie Shaw
Philadelphia federal courthouse closes for cleaning after two attorneys develop coronavirus symptoms
Philadelphia’s federal courthouse shut down Wednesday after two attorneys who had appeared for hearings there reported they had developed symptoms “consistent with COVID-19.”
U.S. District Senior Judge Juan R. Sanchez said the building, on Market Street between 7th and 6th Streets in Center City, will be cleaned and reopen for official business Monday. In the meantime, his order announcing the closure said, civil and criminal proceedings will continue as possible through the court’s electronic filing system.
Sanchez previously restricted court activity including all new civil and criminal jury trials and postponed grand jury deadlines through April 13. However, some proceedings not involving juries such arraignments, bail hearings, and sentencings have continued at the courthouse at the discretion of individual judges.
— Jeremy Roebuck
Despite coronavirus disruptions, Pennsylvania students will not attend school past June 30
Regardless of how long the coronavirus-caused school shutdown lasts, Pennsylvania students will not attend school past June 30, the commonwealth’s education secretary said Wednesday.
“By statute, we can’t extend school past June 30,” Pedro Rivera said during a news conference. “That’s actually when schools fiscally close, then we go into the next year’s fiscal cycle.”
Rivera reiterated a warning he gave when he ordered all Pennsylvania schools closed until at least April 6: the shutdown could last much longer.
“We possibly could be looking at extending the timeline under the direction of the governor and the secretary of health,” he said.
— Kristen A. Graham
Philadelphia nursing home residents, employee test positive for coronavirus
A Philadelphia nursing home said Tuesday that 11 of its residents and a contract employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus since March 19. Three residents and two staff members of a nursing home in Mount Laurel have also tested positive for the new coronavirus over the last week, the facility’s medical director said.
None of the patients has died, but one from Philadelphia and three from New Jersey are hospitalized. James Garrow, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said the department is investigating potential cases in two other city nursing homes, but declined to provide more information.
Brian Dries, a spokesperson for Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia, said one of the 123-bed facility’s residents began exhibiting symptoms of the disease caused by the new virus, COVID-19, on March 19. That patient, who is now hospitalized, was immediately placed in isolation and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health identified other residents who may have been in contact with the infected patient. Results from the other patients came back on Monday. Those who tested positive are being cared for in a separate section of the facility.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the city is “working on that nursing home and are monitoring those residents closely.”
Nursing home residents are especially vulnerable to the new virus, a fact that became starkly evident during an outbreak of coronavirus at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, near Seattle, early in America’s experience with the new disease. As of last week, 35 residents who contracted the virus had died.
— Stacey Burling, Laura McCrystal
Philly schools expect to buy up to 50,000 laptops for students, launch remote learning program
As the Philadelphia School District prepares to launch a remote learning program, the district expects it will need to buy between 40,000 and 50,000 Chromebooks for students, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Wednesday. He said the district has to inventory the technology currently available in its schools to determine exactly how much to purchase.
“We’re going to do the best we can with all the resources we can make available to all students,” Hite said outside Webster Elementary in Kensington, one of 80 sites across the city where students can get free meals during the closures.
Hite said the state’s guidance to school districts “hasn’t been as clear as it needs to be, in my opinion,” but that the district would make “the accommodations and modifications that can reasonably be made” for students requiring special education and English language learners.
Those groups “will be the first populations we have to focus on when we return to some degree of normalcy,” Hite said.
— Maddie Hanna
Philadelphia reports first death from coronavirus
One person in Philadelphia has died due to the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. It’s the first reported death in the city connected to the pandemic.
The patient was a male in his 50s who had an underlying medical condition, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said.
The man “became sick a few days ago, was hospitalized briefly and died in the last couple of days,” Farley said.
“Every death is a tragedy. We don’t want to discuss this as just simply statistics," Farley said, but added that he could not give additional details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Mayor Jim Kenney said the city’s first death was “truly difficult news,” and also a reminder of the seriousness of the virus and the importance of following the stay-at-home order.
“The unfortunate reality is that there will likely be more deaths,” Kenney said. “This virus is very real and very deadly.”
Farley said there are now 342 confirmed cases of the virus in Philadelphia, including among city employees.
He said there is at least one case among civilian employees, as well as in the fire and police departments.
The number of people who have tested positive for the virus in Pennsylvania surpassed 1,000 Wednesday, while 11,193 people have tested negative, according to state health officials. Eleven people have died in the commonwealth due to the coronavirus.
— Oona Goodin-Smith, Laura McCrystal, Anna Orso
New online tool will monitor number, location of hospital beds in the Philadelphia region
Elected officials in the Philadelphia region are working to build a “regional dashboard” that will monitor hospital data across five counties.
Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh detailed the efforts Wednesday morning during a conference call with reporters organized by the National Association of Counties. Arkoosh said the online tool is expected to launch sometime in the next “24 to 48 hours” and will track the number and location of available hospital beds, among other data, in Philadelphia and its suburbs.
“At least initially, some of the data will be mostly for elected officials and hospitals to use, and we are very much looking for components to be used for the public,” Arkoosh said. “We’re hoping that this could be a pretty robust tool.”
Arkoosh declined to name specific hospitals that will feed information to the dashboard, but said that “major health networks in our region” have been helping design the system.
— Vinny Vella
Can Philadelphia use eminent domain to take over closed Hahnemann hospital?
As Philadelphia officials negotiate to use the former Hahnemann University Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, City Councilmember Helen Gym is calling for the city to consider seizing the property by eminent domain.
The city or state would have the power to use eminent domain for the property, but state law requires that fair market value would have to be paid. A city spokesperson said Wednesday that officials remain focused on negotiations.
Joel Freedman, the property’s owner, had been seeking almost $1 million a month from the city for use of the facility.
— Laura McCrystal, Jacob Adelman
What’s in the coronavirus stimulus bill?
The Senate will vote Wednesday afternoon on a $2 trillion stimulus bill that will send billions of dollars to cities, states, small businesses, and distressed industries impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
According to a letter Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) sent to his colleagues, the bill will include a massive boost to unemployment assistance, increasing the amount people receive by $600 a week for four months and include freelancers, independent contractors, and furloughed employees.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) told reporters the bill will also include one-time checks sent to most Americans, depending on their income level:
- $1,200 for individuals making up to $75,000.
- $2,400 for married couples making up to $150,000. Phases out at $200,000
- $500 for each child.
Toomey said the money is expected to be paid the first of second week of April and “most” of it will be paid as wire transfers to individual bank accounts.
The bill is expected to be passed today in the Senate. It would then have to pass in the House and be signed by President Trump before aid could start flowing.
— Rob Tornoe, Jonathan Tamari
Gov. Tom Wolf extends Pennsylvania ‘stay-at-home’ order to 10 counties
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday expanded his “stay-at-home” order to Lehigh and Northampton Counties, bringing the state total to 10 counties under the directive. Philadelphia and its collar counties were already under the order, as were Erie, Monroe, and Allegheny Counties.
— Angela Couloumbis
Cumberland County coronavirus patient dies
Cumberland County, N.J., officials announced Wednesday morning that a Bridgeton resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died. The patient was hospitalized, but died before the positive test results were received.
“It is our understanding that the deceased suffered from other underlying health conditions that put them in a high risk category,” County Health Officer Megan Sheppard said in a news release.
The Cumberland County Health Department is working closely with the New Jersey Department of Health to conduct an investigation to identify close contacts of the resident.
“Those identified as a close contact will be notified,” Sheppard said.
Cumberland County now has one death and three confirmed cases of coronavirus and is expecting more in the next few days, officials said.
— Julie Shaw
Archdiocese of Philadelphia cancels all public Holy Week and Easter services due to coronavirus outbreak
While President Donald Trump has said he wants the country “opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said Wednesday that won’t be happening in its more than 250 parishes in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
In a directive sent to priests Tuesday, church officials called off all public celebrations of Holy Week and Easter Sunday Masses as part of orders they instituted last week suspending public Masses indefinitely.
Though the directive will come as a blow to the region’s 1.3 million Catholics on the holiest day of their religion, churches remain open for the faithful to pray and are following new restrictions on social distancing. And the archdiocese is still encouraging priests to celebrate privately and parishioners to participate at home in livestreamed celebrations.
— Jeremy Roebuck
Most crime down in Philly after coronavirus shutdown
A week after the sudden shutdown of the city of Philadelphia, reported crime has dropped to some of the lowest levels seen in years. That’s according to an Inquirer analysis of preliminary incident data published by the city, which showed that the number of reported crimes was down by more than 25% compared to the average week over the past year.
Not all crime is down: thefts of vehicles nearly doubled, the highest numbers the city has seen in almost a decade. Shootings, too, ticked up, but not past the expected ebbs and flows of violence in the city.
But the general trend was striking — other types of violent crime were down significantly, with aggravated assaults without a firearm down 35% from the average. Other assaults were down by 26% from the average week. Residential burglaries were also down by nearly a third. Thefts, too, mirrored the trend, down to 380 from an average of 500 a week.
— Nathaniel Lash and Chris Palmer
Reports: Workers at Amazon warehouses, including New Jersey, test positive for coronavirus
Amazon workers in at least ten warehouses in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, according to multiple media reports. The nine facilities are:
The Amazon employee in Edison was last onsite March 19, and is receiving medical care while in quarantine, a company spokesperson said.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In response, Amazon temporarily closed down some of the facilities so they could be sanitized and re-opened. According to its website, Amazon workers diagnosed with COVID-19 receive two weeks of pay, and all employees can take unlimited unpaid leave through the end of March.
So far, there have been no reports of workers testing positive in any facilities in or around Philadelphia. There are nine Amazon facilities in Pennsylvania, 11 in New Jersey, and two in Delaware.
— Rob Tornoe
New Castle County closes playground to prevent spread of coronavirus
New Castle County, the northernmost county in Delaware, has closed all public playgrounds and basketball courts in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Workers erected temporary fences around public playgrounds and removed basketball rims Wednesday morning, and neighborhoods throughout New Castle County have barred residents from using community playgrounds and basketball courts while the state continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak.
County executive Matt Meyer said he took action after large groups congregated at several state parks over the weekend. Moving forward, Meyer said parks will remain open for hiking, jogging, and biking, but gatherings of 10 or more people are prohibited.
As of Wednesday morning, there have been 104 positive coronavirus cases in Delaware, 71 of them in New Castle County. There have been no deaths in Delaware, but 11 people are currently hospitalized and five are critically ill, according to health officials.
— Rob Tornoe
Delaware County reports first coronavirus deaths
Two people from Delaware County have died from the coronavirus, officials announced Wednesday. They are the first deaths connected to the pandemic reported by the suburban county.
Both died on Tuesday, and were staying at hospitals run by Main Line Health.
The first was an 85-year-old man from Ridley Park, who had been hospitalized for several days prior to his death, according to officials. A county spokesperson did not identify the hospital.
The second death was an 86-year-old woman, who was hospitalized in Montgomery County. She was previously a resident at the Rosewood Garden Rehab and Nursing Center in Broomall.
— Vinny Vella
Pa. waiving some licensing rules to allow retired medical professionals join the coronavirus pandemic fight
Pennsylvania is waiving some licensing regulations to let retired doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals help fight the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday.
“Many retired and inactive health care professionals want to help bolster our health care system during this crisis,” Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said. “This action will allow people with inactive or retired licenses in good standing to reactivate their licenses and immediately lend their assistance in this challenging time. We thank these retirees for their willingness to serve.”
— Andrew Seidman
Wall Street opens up as $2 trillion coronavirus aid package gains ground in Washington
Wall Street saw a bump Wednesday morning with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 350 points. The S&P 500 saw a 6% bump, while Nasdaq was up 3%.
This comes after the stock market logged its best day since 2008 on Tuesday, as Congress geared up to pass a $2 trillion stimulus plan in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down much of the country.
The Senate and the White House reached a deal on an unprecedented emergency rescue plan in the early mornings hours on Wednesday.
— Erin McCarthy
Chester County commissioners extend ‘essential services-only’ edict for county operations
Chester County Commissioners have extended the duration of the county’s “essential services-only operation” by another two weeks.
The extension, announced late Tuesday, will continue the order through April 13, according to officials.
During that time, the county will restrict activity to its 9-1-1 center, prison, youth center, coroner’s office and the Pocopson Home long-term care facility.
Visitors are barred from going to the county jail, and people traveling to the county youth center must fill out a survey to determine if they are showing symptoms of coronavirus.
— Vinny Vella
Bucks fund awards $20,000 to four groups assisting vulnerable residents during coronavirus pandemic
The Bucks County COV-19 Recovery Fund announced $20,000 in grants for four community groups that are helping vulnerable residents during the coronavirus outbreak.
The following organizations will receive $5,000 each: The Bucks County Opportunity Council, which provides food, transportation, and shelter for people in poverty; Bucks County Housing Group, which is running high-volume food pantries; Penndel Mental Health Center, which helps people with severe mental illnesses, some of whom are homeless; and Advocates for Homeless and Those in Need, which provides emergency food and shelter.
Other organizations can apply for grants on the fund’s website.
— Erin McCarthy
Pa. estimates it has 3,000 ventilators for COVID-19 patients, far below needs in worst case scenario
Pennsylvania issued an updated count Wednesday of ventilators available statewide, and the number is more in line with earlier projections.
The state estimates there are about 3,000 ventilators that could be used for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. That’s 1,000 more than were reported earlier in the week. The discrepancy was due to a more accurate count obtained by the state Department of Health, a department spokesperson said.
The state is still far below the number of ventilators that will likely be needed when the number of infections peaks, based on some projections. A model from the Harvard Global Health Institute estimated the state could need twice as many ventilators as it has to treat patients during the height of the pandemic.
— Jason Laughlin
ICE detainee in New Jersey becomes first in system to test positive for the coronavirus
A 31-year-old man in custody in New Jersey is the first ICE detainee in the country to test positive for the coronavirus, further stoking fears of spread of the disease in jails and detention facilities.
The man, a Mexican immigrant in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is being quarantined and receiving care at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, according to ICE.
The man was evaluated at an area hospital after beginning to display symptoms on Monday.
Immigrant advocates have called for ICE to release detainees who are most vulnerable to contracting and becoming ill from the coronavirus, including the elderly and those with underlying conditions. The agency has said it’s monitoring vulnerable detainees and working with officials to counter the spread of any infectious disease.
— Anna Orso
Four Delaware River bridges, Atlantic City Expressway go cashless to fight spread of coronavirus
The Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Betsy Ross will go cashless for the foreseeable future starting 6 a.m. Thursday in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Delaware River Port Authority says.
John Hanson, the agency’s CEO, said all cars on the bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania will be funneled through the E-ZPass lanes. Drivers without E-ZPass will receive a bill, which will not include additional fees.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike stopped in-person payments last week. The New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway followed suit, and stopped taking cash payments as of 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The South Jersey Transportation Authority has also suspended cash collections at all toll locations on the Atlantic City Expressway.
— Erin McCarthy
Record half-million workers filed for unemployment in Pa. in past week
More than half a million Pennsylvanians have filed new unemployment claims during the past week, a record number indicative of the sweeping economic fallout from Gov. Tom Wolf’s statewide shutdown in order to slow the coronavirus.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Labor and Industry had received a total of 540,000 new unemployment claims since March 16, when Wolf first announced the closure of all non-essential businesses, according to a state senator briefed by the labor secretary.
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the highest number of first-time claims ever filed in Pennsylvania was 168,200, but that was for the entire month of January 2010, said Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D., Philadelphia), the minority chair of the senate committee on labor and industry.
The state has far surpassed that number in about seven days.
— Rebecca Moss
Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus
Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The 71-year-old Prince of Wales is displaying mild symptoms, “but otherwise remains in good health,” according to a statement from Clarence House.
Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, tested negative for the virus.
Clarence House said it’s unclear how Charles contracted COVID-19 due to “the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”
— Rob Tornoe
White House, Senate reach deal on $2 trillion coronavirus aid package
The White House and Senate leaders of both parties announced agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The urgently needed pandemic response measure is the largest economic rescue measure in history and is intended as a weeks- or months-long patch for an economy spiraling into recession and a nation facing a potentially ghastly toll.
Top White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement in a Capitol hallway shortly after midnight, capping days of often intense haggling and mounting pressure. It still needs to be finalized in detailed legislative language.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal,” Ueland said.
The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home.
One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well.
— Associated Press
Pennsylvania ‘particularly ill-prepared’ for financial blow caused by the coronavirus
Just last month, Pennsylvania’s finances were finally on an upswing again. Tax revenues were coming in higher than forecasted, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $36 billion budget with some ambitious new spending plans.
By one estimate, the chance of a recession was only around 20%. Then the coronavirus began to spread.
The outbreak now poses an unprecedented fiscal challenge for the state for which there is no road map. Never before has such a large percentage of Pennsylvania’s economy been shut down for a prolonged period, and no one knows how quickly it will rebound.
The challenge will be particularly acute because, as revenues decline, demand for public assistance programs like unemployment compensation will increase. At the same time, experts say Pennsylvania’s rainy day fund is woefully short of the level it should be at.
— Charlotte Keith
For people with special needs and their families, coronavirus restrictions add challenges
To Lori Wells in Mullica Hill, N.J., the strict observation of social distancing is particularly important for her family.
Her older daughter, Claire, has a history of pneumonia and respiratory illness, and spent time in the hospital on oxygen last summer. Claire, 18, a senior at Clearview Regional High School, also has Down syndrome.
“It’s hard to get a good feeling of how much she truly understands” about the coronavirus, Wells said last week. “We just keep telling her that there’s a bad virus that’s getting people sick and we have to be really careful.”
Coronavirus and the measures to control it can pose extra challenges to people with special needs and their families, and to the organizations that serve them.
— Ellen Gray
Morning roundup: Coronavirus cases mount as New Jersey, Pa. rush to avert potential crisis; recent visitors to NYC told to quarantine
New Jersey’s coronavirus cases continued their surge with nearly 3,700 confirmed patients and 44 deaths reported on Tuesday, ranking the state second highest in the country behind hard-hit New York, while Pennsylvania officials warned that the commonwealth’s total of cases would continue its “exponential” growth.
With millions of people in New Jersey and eight Pennsylvania counties — including Philadelphia and its suburbs — now under stay-at-home orders, officials continued attempts to stop the spread of the deadly virus and secure more hospital equipment before the number of patients becomes unmanageable.
— Justine McDaniel and Pranshu Verma
Today’s Inquirer front page
