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Philly puts a pause on reopening | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, Inovio’s coronavirus vaccine shows promise, but details are few

A sign reminds people to social distance by standing six feet apart on the window of Twenty Manning Grill 20th Street.
A sign reminds people to social distance by standing six feet apart on the window of Twenty Manning Grill 20th Street.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: Philadelphia is pausing some of its reopening plans as new cases of the coronavirus increase and will not allow indoor dining or fitness centers to open Friday as previously expected. The city will, however, let indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries open Friday. Plymouth Meeting-based pharmaceutical company Inovio announced “positive” results from early-stage testing of its COVID-19 vaccine, but did not disclose complete data.

— Kelly O’Shea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

💵 Philadelphia is projected to have just $51 million in cash left by next July, as the city expects to have spent $387 million of its long-term reserves to weather the economic impact of the coronavirus.

🏖️ Delaware is ordering bars in all its beach towns to close “indefinitely” ahead of the July 4th weekend due to a “resurgence” of coronavirus cases, Gov. John Carney announced.

✈️ New Jersey officials are now asking travelers coming from 16 states to quarantine for two weeks once they reach the Garden State.

📈 In Pennsylvania, the biggest increases in infections over the last seven days compared with two weeks ago were in Allegheny, Lackawanna, and Lancaster Counties.

🎰 Casinos in New Jersey are permitted to reopen Thursday at 25% capacity, but patrons won’t be allowed to eat, smoke, or drink on the casino floor.

🎭 More than 400 Philadelphia-area arts and culture groups plus more than a thousand individual artists will receive a total of $4 million raised through the COVID-19 Arts Aid PHL Fund.

📰 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.

Philly won’t allow indoor dining or gyms to reopen amid surge in cases

Philadelphia is pausing some of its reopening plans as new cases of the coronavirus increase and will not allow indoor dining or fitness centers to open Friday as previously planned, my colleague Laura McCrystal reported. The city will, however, let indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries open Friday, with strict mask-wearing requirements and other health precautions in place. No eating or drinking will be permitted indoors at those establishments. Read more here.

Inovio’s vaccine shows promise in early testing, but details are few

Inovio on Tuesday announced “positive” results from early-stage testing of its COVID-19 vaccine, but did not disclose complete data. In a news release, the Plymouth Meeting-based company said that six weeks after two injections, 94% of clinical trial participants “demonstrated overall immunological response rates based on preliminary data,” my colleague Marie McCullough reported. Inovio has been considered a front-runner in the vaccine race, but its technology platform, based on synthetic DNA, has never yielded an approved vaccine. Read more here.

Helpful resources

  1. What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus?

  2. How to wear face masks in hot weather this summer.

  3. Unsure what 6 feet apart looks like? We explain.

  4. Not sure what a medical term means? We have definitions for you.

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

You got this: Listen to a house concert

Four classic musicians have been quarantined together in South Philadelphia since the pandemic shutdown — but that didn’t stop them from filling their four-bedroom home with live music, my colleague Helen Ubiñas writes. For a couple of hours every day, the quartet meets in their living room to practice pieces from Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Watch the group deliver a 30-minute virtual concert from their home here.

🎸 The Philadelphia Folk Festival will be a weekend-long virtual event this year. Check out the lineup.

👪 The William Penn Foundation approved more than $2 million worth of grants toward helping youth and summer programs reopen safely.

🎥 Want to watch the premiere of Hamilton on a big screen this weekend? Here’s how to set up an outdoor movie theater in your backyard.

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. Millions of people track the pandemic on Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus dashboard. But those who built it say some miss the real story, The Washington Post writes.

  2. Experts are calling for a 9/11-style commission to evaluate the nation’s preparedness and response to the pandemic. According to Stat, here’s where it could start.

  3. Pennsylvania’s cyber charters were already equipped for remote learning. Public Sources asks: How much COVID-19 relief should they receive?

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