Some Pa. schools can reopen for in-person teaching next month | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, as protests continue, Kenney won’t say if the city will move to the ‘yellow’ reopening phase this week
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TL;DR: Pennsylvania schools have remained closed for months, but the state Department of Education announced Wednesday that those in “green” or “yellow” counties can reopen for in-person teaching on July 1. The Philadelphia region has been anticipating a partial reopening on Friday, but after days of protests, Mayor Jim Kenney said that “we’ll have to see what happens today, tonight, tomorrow, Friday” with regard to crowds. If you missed our coverage of the protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, here are photos from today.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
🏠 The region’s stay-at-home order will expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced today.
🏀 The NBA is expected to approve a 22-team restart in July with eight regular-season games and a possible play-in tournament.
🗳️ Undeterred by the coronavirus and inspired by protests, voters turned out for an unprecedented Pennsylvania primary. But, we won’t know the election results for days. Here’s what that means for November.
📚 A new college president amid COVID: Rosemont’s Jayson Boyers makes plans for fall reopening from afar.
😷 Confronted by COVID and civil unrest, Philly’s home health workers still show up for a risky job.
📰 In a partnership between The Inquirer and the Lenfest Local Lab, leveraging technology built in the Brown Institute, we have organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties mentioned in the stories.
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.
Pennsylvania schools have remained closed for months, but the state Department of Education announced Wednesday that those in “green” or “yellow” phase counties can reopen for in-person teaching on July 1. Schools that choose to reopen will need to ensure six feet of distance between students. These schools will also have to develop health and safety procedures that meet federal and state guidelines, according to preliminary guidance issued by Education Secretary Pedro Rivera. Read more here.
The Philadelphia region has been anticipating a partial reopening on Friday, but after days of protests, Mayor Jim Kenney said that “we’ll have to see what happens today, tonight, tomorrow, Friday” with regard to crowds. This was the fifth day of Philadelphia protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and many in the crowds were not social distancing. “I’m a little concerned, though, what might happen with 3, 4, 5,000 people close together without a mask for days on end," Kenney said. Here is a refresher on what the “yellow” phase could mean for your social life.
Helpful resources
Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.
Unsure what 6 feet apart looks like? We explain.
What if someone in my house is sick? How to protect your household during coronavirus.
Here’s how to wear a mask at the beach (properly).
Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.
You got this: Start meditating
The coronavirus has brought with it a slew of questions and uncertainty. Meditation can help calm your worries, my colleague Kelly O’Shea writes. And if meditation is new for you, an expert from the Penn Program for Mindfulness in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shares tips here.
🎶 Meet the dancing security guard who brightens days for dialysis patients.
🍨 Let’s chill a bit. Here’s the scoop on water ice.
🚨 Tear gas has been controlling crowds for a century. How does it work? Can it cause permanent harm?
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
Philly Mag writes: “Philly Should Quit Cheap Meat.”
As coronavirus cases continued to surge in the United States, the New York Times reports what went wrong at the CDC.
The BBC reports on the “silent spreaders” of the coronavirus.
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