Some public schools open for private child care | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, COVID-19 test result wait times drag on
TL;DR: There are school districts starting the year with all-virtual learning, yet allowing child care providers to operate from their buildings, providing full-day programs for a limited number of children. And some parents are upset. Curious how long you’d have to wait for a COVID-19 test result? Read about the average wait times here.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
🏈 Penn State athletics has suspended team activities for several programs after a sharp rise in positive COVID-19 tests.
🍽️ Indoor dining in Philadelphia resumed Tuesday with restrictions. Here are 10 spots to eat. Movie theaters and performance venues were also permitted to reopen.
🚇 SEPTA riders say they feel unsafe and mask enforcement could be better, a COVID-19 travel survey finds. Transportation is also another pandemic hurdle for those seeking treatment.
🏥 Penn Nursing students are seeking a partial refund of tuition, saying virtual clinical training isn’t worth the full cost.
🏈 The NFL is confident its COVID-19 protocols will allow for a full season. And, the Phillies' playoff fate rests on their pitching, health, and whether they can beat the Marlins.
😷 From doctor to decorator: The pandemic spurred her to make a change of a lifetime.
📰 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.
There are school districts starting the year with all-virtual learning, yet allowing child care providers to operate from their buildings, providing full-day programs for a limited number of children whose parents may be working or unable to watch their children while they tune into online class. And some parents are upset. “It’s absurd,” Daniel Finnegan, a Montgomery County father of a third and first grader, told my colleague Maddie Hanna. Read more here.
If you need a COVID-19 test in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, you’ll have to wait three days and two days, respectively, for results, according to a new survey conducted by researchers at Rutgers University and others. The national wait time was three days. Yet, experts say any waiting time beyond 24 hours makes contact tracing almost irrelevant. Here’s why.
Helpful resources
These 8 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?
Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.
You got this: How long are you contagious?
“With new information about the coronavirus coming out every week, it can be hard to keep track of the details you need to keep your family safe,” my colleague Sarah Gants writes. Questions remain about how long the virus is contagious and whether it’s possible to be reinfected. Read more here.
🏠 Tenants' rights guide: What to know about eviction notices and the eviction moratorium.
🎶 Fringe Fest 2020 is a little bit live, a lot of tech, and one show you get to sleep through.
🧘🏾 Yoga exercises for kids can keep them focused during the day.
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
President Donald Trump said in February that he knew the coronavirus was “deadly” and worse than the flu, while lying to Americans about the pandemic, according to a new book by Bob Woodward, the Washington Post reports.
“America Is trapped in a pandemic spiral:" The Atlantic reports how the United States is “making the same conceptual errors that have plagued it since spring"
As schools switched to online learning and the economy crashed, WHYY talked to six parents about how they are adapting.
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