‘One of the most deadly waves’ | Coronavirus Updates Newsletter

The gist: The omicron variant is continuing to subside, but its surge was one of the deadliest waves we’ve seen in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s promise of $100 for folks who get vaccinated now isn’t drawing big crowds, and Pennsylvania schools have likewise been slow to take up a free testing program offered by the state. Vaccines, meanwhile, remain an important tool in fighting the pandemic — and they may also help combat “long-haul COVID-19,” a study has found.

📥 Tell us: Philly’s offering $100 for people who get vaccinated. What do you think could encourage vaccinations? Send us a note, and we’ll share some responses in next week’s newsletter. Please keep it to 35 words.

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— Nick Vadala (@njvadala, health@inquirer.com)

Despite it being less likely to cause severe illness and death than previous COVID-19 strains, deaths from the highly transmissible omicron variant were still high due to the sheer number of people infected during the latest surge. As a result, more than 9,000 Pennsylvanians have died from COVID-19 since Dec. 1, giving the state one of the nation’s highest per-capita death rates in what has been called “one of the most deadly waves we’ve seen.”

🚑 Hospitals throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey are reporting “dramatic” drops in COVID-19 patients as the omicron surge continues to subside.

💸 A promise of $100 for people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 hasn’t brought big crowds to Philadelphia’s clinics — at least not yet.

🧪 Despite spikes in coronavirus infections and low child vaccination rates, schools across Pennsylvania have been slow to enroll in a free testing program.

🔬 Long-haul COVID-19, often shortened to long COVID, is less common among people who were vaccinated, a review of multiple studies has found.

😷 Philly-area schools are increasingly ending mask mandates, but how and when they’re deciding to do so is dividing communities.

🏥 Delco is the most populous Pennsylvania county without a health department. It is, however, getting one “very soon,” officials say.

🍽️ Some Philly restaurant owners are choosing to keep requiring proof of vaccination.

💃 Penn State’s THON, a 46-hour dance marathon, returned for its 50th year with new safety protocols.

🤡 Philly’s health department clowned rapper Nicky Minaj over a controversial COVID-19 comment, and a Twitter storm erupted.

📈 Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are declining in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Track the latest data here.

Last week, we asked what you think about the vaccine mandate for indoor dining ending. Here’s what you told us:

🍳 “Back to cooking at home. Close quarters, everyone unmasked, everyone speaking up because restaurants are loud; I’m not going to be comfortable eating out anymore.”

😞 “To me, this seems like a cheap campaign move and further erodes the public trust in the health department and city council. Such a disappointment.”

🥪 “You’re forcing maskless conscientious people to sit amongst a crowd of irresponsible unvaccinated people. No thank you, I opt for Jersey Mike’s takeout subs.”

🔥 “Glad to see the vaccine mandate go! Doubt it did any good but scare off some restaurant goers like myself who chose to eat outside the city during this time. Hope this provides some relief to restaurant owners and workers!”

🤦 “This is a great way for the city to make even more spaces inaccessible for vulnerable people.”

💰 “It’s not over yet. People concerned about the economy always take steps too quickly and that doesn’t work. A few more weeks could make a difference in the return back to normal.”

💉 “This move may placate the unvaccinated, but it will take away the pleasure and possibly the safety of indoor dining for many.”

Presales for the Franklin Institute’s highly anticipated Harry Potter exhibition eclipsed presales for all other shows at the museum since 2007. But is it, you know, any good? We took a young Harry Potter fan to check it out and get the skinny on this massive, 20,000-square-foot show. From boggarts to Quidditch, here’s what you have to look forward to.

🍽️ Birria tacos are big right now, and Philly has plenty of meaty, crispy options on offer to satiate all your savory cravings — but here are the real standouts.

🐟 Burned out on your day-to-day corporate grind? Do like this Fishtown woman did and give it all up to make handheld fishing nets prized by fly fishermen around the world.

🏀 Philly (understandably) still has James Harden fever, so here are 13 things you need to know about the newest Sixer.

The social isolation the pandemic has caused is tough, but this group of friends has a unique remedy: Dominoes. Spread across Philly, New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia, they meet twice a week — nearly every week for two years now — on Zoom to catch up and play a game of bones. Their name? The DominOsos, which loosely translates as the “dominos playing bears.”