Pa. won’t open mass vaccine sites in Philly suburbs | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, COVID-19 patients in Philly-area hospitals get younger
The gist: The Pennsylvania Department of Health no longer plans to open two mass vaccine clinics in Philadelphia’s suburbs, and will instead send Johnson & Johnson doses to the four counties. This announcement came as Pennsylvania said it will make all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine April 19 (excluding Philadelphia). Read more here. Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are rising again, but this time, the proportion of younger patients has increased.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
📚 The University of Pittsburgh issued a shelter-in-place order on Wednesday due to an increase of COVID-19 cases among students and the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant, which is quickly spreading across Pennsylvania and the region.
🏥 COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are “spiking” across Montgomery County. Meanwhile, officials announced an influx in vaccine supply that should help speed up the number of people inoculated.
😷 New Jersey health officials sounded their strongest warnings yet on the state’s increasing coronavirus cases: “We are definitely in another wave of this virus.”
🦠 Stigma is COVID-19′s silent complication. But read how that has changed since the pandemic’s early days.
💰 Philly’s pandemic budget hole is big compared with other cities. Read why here.
📰 What’s going on near you? We organize recent coverage of the pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods to make it easier for you to find info you care about. Now, you can also get those local headlines sent directly to your inbox by signing up here.
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.
Pa. will make all adults eligible for vaccine on April 19, won’t open mass clinics in Philly suburbs
Pennsylvania said it will make all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine on April 19, with the 1B and 1C groups eligible sooner. But Philadelphia won’t follow the commonwealth in moving its vaccine timeline forward, and still plans to open up vaccine eligibility to all adult residents by May 1. The Pennsylvania Department of Health also said it no longer plans to open two mass clinics in Philadelphia’s suburbs. Instead, the department will send doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the four collar counties. Read more here.
Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are rising again, but this time, the proportion of younger patients has increased. The codirector of critical care at Cooper University Hospital told the Inquirer how the patients he’s seeing are younger on average than they were before vaccinations started, but most have chronic conditions that would make them eligible to get the vaccine because of those health problems. “You know what the story is?” he asked. “We’re seeing people who are not getting vaccinated.” Read more here.
Helpful resources
Am I eligible to get vaccinated? Know the requirements for Philly, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
Here's how to prepare for your vaccine appointment.
What you can do safely once you're fully vaccinated.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, common cold, and allergies can overlap. How to tell the difference.
You got this: See cherry blossoms
Cherry trees throughout the city are already beginning to bloom, and the head gardener of the Japan American Society of Greater Philadelphia predicts we will see peak bloom across the first two weeks of April. How long does cherry blossom season last? Where can you find the best views? Want to participate in this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival? Check out this guide for answers to all your questions, and more.
🌲 How to identify and kill spotted lanternflies.
🍽️ These Philadelphia restaurants are not only surviving the pandemic, they’re “doing well.”
🍫 Here is where to buy chocolate in Philly.
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
Which one did you get — Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson? The Atlantic writes about “vaccine small talk.”
Working from home may be here to stay, for some. The Washington Post reports on the complications of the new “hybrid” workplace.
Should masking and physical distancing continue after the pandemic? NPR reports on this debate.
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