Outdoor dining isn’t quite the same as it used to be | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, some sports and outdoor activities are allowed in Pa. again
TL;DR: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf lifted restrictions for professional, college, high school, and youth sports, as long as they follow health guidelines such as wearing masks and social distancing. MaGerk’s in Fort Washington, which used to be able to seat 98 people outside, reopened its deck last Friday. When implementing the mandated six-foot spacing, it could only seat 36 people. Read more about how local restaurants are trying to balance reopening with safety.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
🎶 The Roots Picnic is called off, along with the Mann Center’s entire 2020 pop concert schedule.
📚 The reopening of Pennsylvania state universities will vary by campus.
🔴 The Pennsylvania legislature approved a resolution ending Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus emergency declaration. What happens now?
😷 COVID-19 has exposed mental health needs within Philadelphia’s Latino communities.
🎰 Some Pennsylvania casinos are open, but they look different. There is no valet parking or buffets, everyone has to wear a face mask, and there is no poker.
🎥 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy doesn’t allow it. But this movie theater is open anyway.
📰 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.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf lifted restrictions for professional, college, high school, and youth sports, as long as they follow health guidelines such as wearing masks and social distancing. Athletes should be screened for symptoms and “avoid unnecessary physical contact," Wolf said. Outdoor facilities for mountain biking, miniature golf, motorsports, go karting, rock climbing, disc golf, paintball, horse riding, tennis, archery or shooting, among others, are also allowed to reopen. Read more here about what sports may look like with these new guidelines.
MaGerk’s in Fort Washington, which used to seat 98 people outside, reopened its deck last Friday. When implementing the mandated six-foot spacing, it could only seat 36 people. With Philadelphia joining the yellow phase, Morgan’s Pier at Penn’s Landing will cap its seating at 250, half of its usual. In West Chester, the popular Gay Street will close to cars and allow outside dining. Read more about how local restaurants are trying to balance reopening with safety.
Helpful resources
Anxious about the prospect of socializing or shopping again? Here’s what psychologists say you can do to ease those worries.
What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus?
Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.
Philly is in the yellow phase. How far are we away from green?
What to consider before visiting your parents in the yellow phase.
You got this: Support Philly’s black-owned restaurants
“The desire to support more black-owned restaurants now in the wake of protests over the killing of George Floyd (not to mention a pandemic disproportionately affecting African Americans) is timely, productive, and hopefully lasting,” the Inquirer’s Craig LaBan writes. He describes a dozen of his personal favorites. Check them out here.
💰 Did you get Pennsylvania unemployment cash you weren’t supposed to? Your identity may have been stolen.
🍎 Grocery stores seem bulletproof in a pandemic. Are they?
🚌 This retiring school bus driver wishes he could say goodbye to the students and families he has loved.
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
A study shows that widespread mask-wearing could prevent a second spike of COVID-19 cases, Reuters reports.
Her pregnancy was already high risk. Then she gave birth on a ventilator. The Washington Post tells the story of how, in a Baton Rouge hospital, the coronavirus threatened a mother’s life and her baby’s survival.
The New Jersey Department of Health forced this nursing home to close during a coronavirus outbreak. NJ.com reports “the tragic story” of what happened next.
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