Travel risk vs. reward | Coronavirus Updates Newsletter

The gist: It’s prime time for vacation, and some Philadelphians are traveling again despite feeling it may be “inevitable” that they’ll come back from their trips with COVID-19. Plus, we may develop a better understanding of the future of COVID by studying its closest relatives, the four coronaviruses that cause common colds. And as the new school year approaches, one New Jersey lawmaker is calling for the end of a COVID testing requirement for unvaccinated school staff.

📥 Tell us: What’s your best pandemic travel tip? 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)

More than 200 million American adults are expected to take at least one vacation this summer, according to national surveys, about 35 million more than in summer 2021. Locally, plenty of Philadelphians are counting themselves among that group — and many of them are pushing virus anxiety to the back of their minds and just hoping they don’t come back from vacation sick. But, as one expert put it, regardless of where you’re going, “there’s a good chance that you’re going to be exposed” to the coronavirus.

🔬 A better understanding what to expect from COVID could emerge from the science involving its closest relatives — the four coronaviruses that cause common colds.

💉 As New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration reviews its protocols for the coming school year, one lawmaker is calling for the end of COVID testing for unvaccinated school staff.

🏫 Colleges with COVID vaccine mandates reduced virus death in their local counties by about 5%, a new study has found. According to researchers, that translates to 7,300 lives saved in fall 2021.

🏥 After pushback on a previous proposal to hide hospital safety data from public view due to the pandemic’s impact on the industry, U.S. health officials now say they will publish the ratings after all.

😊 Philly’s post-pandemic economic recovery is still nascent, and the city’s business leaders say that the next mayor needs to cheerlead an economic renaissance. “We need somebody that smiles,” one said.

💰 More than one-quarter of Montgomery County’s $151.4 million in federal COVID recovery funds will be spent in just two of the county’s 68 municipalities.

🎥 David Bey, owner of Beyfilmz Media, is one of 100 local small business owners to receive a $10,000 grant to help them build their businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund.

📈 Coronavirus cases are rising in Pennsylvania and falling slightly in New Jersey. Track the latest data here.

We’re asking what’s making your life better right now as you navigate the pandemic. Here’s what you told us:

🦠 “I’ve learned to live with a virus that is here to stay! Fully vaccinated and boosted. No longer thinking about this virus!”

If you’ve summered down the shore in Cape May, you probably know the Lobster House. After all, it’s been there since 1922, when the Laudeman family began hauling their catch to the wharf there. But a century later, the volume and size of the operation is mind-boggling — to the tune of 320,000 meals at $15.4 million in 2020 alone, making it one of America’s top independent restaurants.

🍲 Food offerings at the Wells Fargo Center are about to get a little more gourmet, thanks to a new bistro stand from chef Jose Garces that will serve dishes inspired by restaurants like Village Whiskey and The Olde Bar.

🛼 Having skated, shoved, and battled their way to victory at the national championships, the Philly Roller Derby Junior All-Stars — the city’s junior roller derby team — is officially number one.

🏈 The Pro Football Hall of Fame may be in Ohio, but among its 40,000 NFL artifacts, you’ll find scores of Eagles items. Here are some of the coolest.

Everyone knows that omicron is the name of a widespread COVID variant, but how many could identify the Greek letter that comes before omicron? Brianne Barker, an associate professor of biology at Drew University in Madison, N.J., did — and it helped her win $11,700 on a recent episode of Jeopardy! And while her time as a champ was short, we’ll remember her for the virus-shaped earrings she wore on air.