Philly schools make tentative fall plans | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, a new study highlights the virus' racial disparities
TL;DR: The Philadelphia School District has been discussing tentative plans for what could happen in the fall, which could include a hybrid in-person and online learning model, no temperature checks for students and staff, cleaning high-touch areas every four hours, and students attending in shifts so classes aren’t overcrowded. In Philadelphia, Black and Hispanic pregnant women tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus five times as often as their white counterparts in April and May, according to a University of Pennsylvania study.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
📈 New infections are trending upward in Pennsylvania, including more cases among younger age groups.
🏀 Sports are coming back: The Union are back, New Jersey is planning for fall high school sports, and the Sixers are in Florida for the NBA’s restart.
🍻 Philly and Delaware County officials urge people to report bars and restaurants ignoring social-distancing rules.
🚘 Long lines at Motor Vehicle Commission offices has led New Jersey to extend expiration dates on driver’s licenses and car registrations.
📚 West Chester University has reversed course on its plans to bring students back to campus in the fall, and will now conduct the semester mostly online.
💰 The White House wants “another round” of stimulus checks passed this month, according to the Treasury secretary.
📰 What’s going on in your county? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about.
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.
The Philadelphia School District has been discussing tentative plans for what do when students head back to class in the fall, which could include a hybrid in-person and online learning model, no temperature checks for students and staff, cleaning high-touch areas every four hours, and having students attend school in shifts so classrooms aren’t overcrowded. Classes in Philadelphia are scheduled to begin Aug. 31, but all the training and protocols needed for preparing for school amid a pandemic may push that back. Read more about the plans here.
In Philadelphia, Black and Hispanic pregnant women tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus five times as often as their white counterparts in April and May, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. Scott Hensley, an associate professor of microbiology, recently presented this data and attributed the wide disparity to “systemic racial inequality, lower income, and related factors that could make it harder to practice social distancing,” my colleague Tom Avril explains.
Helpful resources
Philadelphia is in a modified “green” phase, with some reopenings — indoor dining and gyms — halted until at least Aug. 1. Here’s what’s open now.
Want to plan a vacation? Here’s what the experts say on how to travel safely.
Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.
Tips on how to defuse arguments about mask use and social distancing.
Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.
You got this: Dine outdoors at the Jersey Shore
Our restaurant critic Craig LaBan visits Jersey Shore restaurants and shares four places that are doing outdoor dining right. Read his reviews here.
☀️ Playstreets are the new summer camp.
🌈 Magic Gardens has reopened with new rules.
🍻 Here are 12 New Jersey craft breweries worth a day trip.
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
The Washington Post reports how President Donald Trump has viewed the deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic devastation, and protests over police brutality and racism, as “happening to him rather than the country.”
These Floridians are not wearing masks. A South Florida Sun Sentinel columnist writes about how these people are embracing their “inalienable right to kill their neighbors.”
A Marshall Project and New York Times investigation reveals how Immigration and Customs Enforcement “exported the coronavirus.”
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