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Choose your 'quaranteams’ wisely | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, how the coronavirus tore through this South Jersey center for disabled adults

Travis Gunville, 22, lounges on a hammock in Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia one day last month, practicing social distancing amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Travis Gunville, 22, lounges on a hammock in Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia one day last month, practicing social distancing amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: As people look ahead to the future, more weeks of isolation, working from home until at least through Labor Day, a summer without camp for the kids, families and individuals are making their own rules: They’re assembling a ‘quaranteam.’ For the last two months, the coronavirus tore through New Jersey’s five state-run residential facilities for people with developmental disabilities. Read about what happened here.

— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

🏖️ Some Jersey Shore beaches reopened yesterday as a test run leading up to Memorial Day weekend and many people were not wearing masks or social distancing. Here are photos of what it looked like and here is what else you should know before you even think of visiting the beach.

😷 Uber is requiring all riders and drivers to wear masks starting tomorrow.

🔓 Gov. Tom Wolf said 12 more Pennsylvania counties will move into the first phase of reopening on Friday. Here are the guidelines for which Pennsylvania businesses can open during the red, yellow, and green phases, and how Pennsylvania decides when counties can ease their shutdown restrictions.

🏥 Philadelphia’s decline in new cases of COVID-19 “seems to be accelerating," officials say. But with more than 200 new confirmed cases per day, they say it is too early to set a date for easing restrictions. New Jersey reports over 146,000 residents positive for the coronavirus; death toll tops 10,350.

🚧 Construction sites throughout Pennsylvania reopened this month, but now some workers are finding a shortage of the recommended N95 masks.

🎓 Former President Barack Obama criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation’s coronavirus response in an online graduation speech.

Local coronavirus cases

📈The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here.

Philadelphians are secretly picking ‘quaranteams’ to survive the shutdown

As people look ahead to the future of more weeks of isolation, working from home until at least through Labor Day, a summer without camp for the kids, families and individuals are making their own rules: They’re assembling a ‘quaranteam.’ People are expanding their quarantine bubbles to include extended family, others are gathering with friends, and some singles are moving in with friends for companionship. Thinking of expanding your quarantine circle? My colleague Grace Dickinson spoke to experts last week and wrote about why that was still not safe.

At South Jersey center for disabled adults, COVID-19 has killed 8 while infecting most residents and many staff

For the last two months, the coronavirus tore through New Jersey’s five state-run residential facilities for people with developmental disabilities. At the New Lisbon Developmental Center in Burlington County, nearly every two out of three residents have contracted coronavirus. As of last Sunday, eight people died and 75 recovered. More than 85 workers also caught the virus. Read more here.

Helpful resources

  1. Anxious about going back out into the world? Here are some ways to manage your worries.

  2. Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.

  3. Did you eat your two-week food supply? Here’s why you need to restock it. If you need help with that, here’s a list of local Philly stores that deliver groceries, meat, dairy, coffee beans, and more.

  4. Why some get really sick from the coronavirus, and others don’t.

  5. Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down almost 100 answers here.

You got this: Fun livestreams to occupy the kids during the workweek

Living and working and raising kids at home has not made for a necessarily productive quarantine. If you’re in need of a distraction for the kids while you finally finish up some work, look here. We rounded up some great livestreams, like a fantastic Mister John’s Music morning song, best followed by segments of the Bella Vista treasure’s weekly video, Crayola’s weekly craft lesson, and Southern California SpiderFit Kids livestreams for little ones.

🧼 Tired of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ when you wash your hands? Try these Philly alternatives.

💄Is my mask less effective if I wear makeup?

📚 Need a book? Check out the favorites of The Inquirer’s sports staff.

Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.

What we’re paying attention to

  1. PECO adds ‘thank you’ to Crown Lights and extended its coronavirus-related service offerings through at least July 1, BillyPenn reports.

  2. Health-care workers, scientists and medical experts are looking more heroic than the rich and famous. Fast Company reports how the pandemic is changing how we think about status.

  3. The New York Times reports why Nils Lofgren, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band guitarist, is taking on nursing homes.

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