How long we’ll need to wear masks, according to Dr. Fauci | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, for ordinary COVID-19 patients, Trump’s cavalier attitude stings.
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TL;DR: Though we all may be longing for more normal days soon ahead, Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s chief infectious diseases expert, believes public health measures like mask-wearing and social distancing will continue until the end of 2021 or into 2022. Curious why? Read more here. President Donald Trump has touted his quick recovery from the coronavirus as proof that Americans don’t need to be scared of becoming infected — something doctors and patients say is a dangerous message to send to the public.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
😷 Pennsylvania and New Jersey are now considered high-risk states by Massachusetts and visitors from them are expected to complete a travel form and self-quarantine for 14 days. Travelers who don’t follow the state’s rules face a fine of up to $500 per day.
💰 Pa. jobless rate fell to 8.1% last month, down 2.3 percentage points from August.
🏥 After hospital stay, Chris Christie blames White House lapses for ‘false sense of security.’
🧾 Unpaid Pa. utility bills soar 67% in the pandemic, and thousands face shutoffs next month.
🏈 Fans are allowed to return to the Linc for the Eagles game Sunday and SEPTA adds “Sports Express” subway trips. Also, SEPTA is launching new three-day passes.
🗳️ More than 1 million have voted so far in N.J. mail-in election. Here’s how to vote in Pennsylvania.
📰 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.
When Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s chief infectious diseases expert, was asked this week during a Zoom meeting with Thomas Jefferson University faculty, staff, and students to predict how long we will all be wearing masks and social distancing, his responses were not very encouraging. Though we all may be longing for more normal days soon ahead, Fauci believes these public health measures will continue until the end of 2021 or into 2022. Curious why? Read more here.
President Donald Trump has touted his quick recovery from the coronavirus as proof that Americans don’t need to be scared of becoming infected — something doctors and patients say is a dangerous message to send to the public. No other patient will have the type of care the president received, said Anne Sutherland, a pulmonary and critical care physician and the director of the medical intensive care unit at Rutgers University Hospital in Newark. "Normal people do not get a helicopter to the hospital, normal people do not have 20 doctors for one patient.” Read more here.
Helpful resources
These eight principles of social distancing can help you figure out what you can and can’t do.
If you’ve hit a COVID-19 wall, here are ways to cope.
The coronavirus is mainly transmitted through the air. Here’s how to tell if your ventilation is OK.
How does the virus affect your entire body?
Here’s what to know about traveling safely during the pandemic.
You got this: Eat outside
The Inquirer’s restaurant critic Craig LaBan writes about seven restaurants with reimagined space for you to eat outside. There are gardens and parklets, sidewalk cubbies, and patio and vacant lot transformations. Check them out here.
🍂 Head to the Poconos this weekend as the fall foliage nears its peak.
🎃 Check out the 12 Halloween attractions near Philly, including haunted hayrides, spooky drive-thrus, scarecrow walks and more.
🟢 Here are the current Pennsylvania coronavirus guidelines and here are the current New Jersey coronavirus guidelines.
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
“Inside the Fall of the CDC:" ProPublica reports how the organization has faltered during the pandemic.
WHYY writes about the toll COVID-19 has taken on the practices of Black physicians.
The Atlantic is reporting that the third coronavirus surge is happening. Read more here.
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