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The local data on transmission at schools | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, how Philly Fighting COVID’s vaccine effort collapsed on a national stage

James Crisfield, Wissahickon School District Superintendent of Schools, shown here outside the administrative office in Ambler in September.
James Crisfield, Wissahickon School District Superintendent of Schools, shown here outside the administrative office in Ambler in September.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: The school reopening debate remains fraught but some area educators are buoyed by federal health officials who say data from several states and Europe indicate “little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission.” The city trusted a group of self-described “college kids” to lead its vaccine rollout. But Philly Fighting COVID was full of red flags from the start.

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

What you need to know:

📈 Villanova University recorded 186 active COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, and campus officials warned if the trend continues, the school may need to revert to all-remote instruction.

💉 Rite Aid and ShopRite pharmacists in Philadelphia will offer COVID-19 vaccines to people 75 and older starting next week.

🔒 New Jersey’s six “mega-sites” for COVID-19 vaccinations will be closed again Tuesday due to the winter storm, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

🏃‍♀️ The Broad Street Run has once again been postponed. The run, scheduled for May, has been pushed back until the fall, organizers said Monday. No specific date has been announced.

🏪 For independent pharmacies, providing COVID-19 vaccines isn’t a particularly smart business move, given the red tape, logistical challenges, and vagaries of reimbursement. But this Montgomery County drugstore has no regrets.

🤰The coronavirus vaccine does not cause infertility, as social media myths are claiming.

📰 What’s going on in your county or neighborhood? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods 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.

As schools seek to reopen, here’s what local data say about in-person classes and COVID-19

The reopening debate remains fraught as schools try to balance safety with a growing concern that many children — particularly the most vulnerable — are falling behind. Some area educators are buoyed by federal health officials who say data from several states and Europe indicate “little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission.” In the Philadelphia region, the share of positive coronavirus cases in 10- to 19-year-olds peaked in September, according to CDC data. Philadelphia public schools, which utilized remote learning, had the lowest percentage of cases. Read more here.

How Philly Fighting COVID’s vaccine effort collapsed on a national stage

Before the city cut ties with Philly Fighting COVID, many wondered why Philadelphia entrusted a group of self-described “college kids” with the largest public health initiative in recent memory. The red flags were there all along. PFC had abruptly abandoned testing community members. CEO Andre Doroshin didn’t have medical or public health certifications, and neither did many other undergraduates running the organization. The top medical staffer listed on its website was a Main Line fertility specialist. On Monday, City Council members presented an ordinance that would impose additional oversight and procedures for awarding contracts to groups looking to provide the coronavirus vaccine.

Helpful resources

  1. Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.

  2. How to avoid COVID-19 vaccine scams.

  3. Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, common cold, and allergies can overlap. How to tell the difference.

  4. How does the virus affect your entire body?

  5. Here’s what to know about traveling safely during the pandemic.

You got this: Arts and entertainment highlights

Soon enough, all of us chubby, hairy, COVID-19 hibernators will emerge from our burrows, wrinkle our noses at the sun, and get on with things. But first, six more weeks of winter. Here are 40 arts and entertainment highlights to get you from Groundhog Day to the first days of spring.

🍽️ More new restaurants are coming to the Philadelphia area. Here’s what they will be serving.

🎼 This week, a Philadelphia Orchestra conductor takes the podium for her first time after being elevated to a new post.

📚 Check out the African American Children’s Book Fair and other kids events in Philly this week.

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. People vaccinated against the coronavirus wonder what they can safely do now, The Washington Post reports.

  2. Kaiser Health News says that older adults without family or friends lag in the race to get COVID-19 vaccines.

  3. What went wrong with America’s $44 million vaccine data system?, MIT Technology Review asks.

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