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An all-virtual first day of school | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, there’s more to COVID-19 safety than 6 feet of social distance

Mayor Jim Kenney (right), councilmember Helen Gym (center) and councilmember Derek Green stand outside of Lowell Elementary School in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia on Wednesday, the first day of virtual school for 125,000 Philadelphia School District students. They called for more funding for public schools floundering under the pressures of COVID-19.
Mayor Jim Kenney (right), councilmember Helen Gym (center) and councilmember Derek Green stand outside of Lowell Elementary School in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia on Wednesday, the first day of virtual school for 125,000 Philadelphia School District students. They called for more funding for public schools floundering under the pressures of COVID-19.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: Classes began for 125,000 kids across the district and it was a first day like no other. Many restaurants are allowed to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity, with tables at least six feet apart. But what’s the basis for that? And will it be enough to protect you? Read more here.

— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

🦉 Philadelphia health officials say coronavirus test results on Temple University’s campus are “indicative of an ongoing outbreak” after the school shut down in-person classes for at least two weeks.

🍽️ New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is reopening indoor dining. Restaurants are still worried.

📊 Nursing home COVID-19 case, death data still missing from Pa.’s public reports.

🏥 Pennsylvania reports 816 coronavirus cases as virus spreads through schools and nursing homes.

📚 New Jersey schools are set to reopen next week and prepared to handle potential outbreaks, Murphy says.

😷 SEPTA’s ‘social-distancing coaches’ are sticking around to boost mask-wearing.

📰 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.

Philly students head back to class, virtually; education leaders demand more funding

Classes began for 125,000 kids across the district and it was a first day like no other. Students logged on virtually because the coronavirus pandemic has made it unsafe to gather in person. Although teachers, students and parents reported some first-day glitches, our reporter Kristen Graham wrote there was enthusiasm at the beginning of the 2020-21 term.

There’s more to COVID-19 safety than 6 feet of social distance

Many restaurants are allowed to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity, with tables at least six feet apart. But what’s the basis for that? And will it be enough to protect you? Inquirer reporter Marie McCullough talks to experts about how the “scientific reasoning is limited and evolving.” Read more here.

Helpful resources

  1. What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus?

  2. Want to plan a vacation? Here’s what the experts say on how to travel safely.

  3. Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.

  4. Not sure what a medical term means? We have definitions for you.

  5. Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.

You got this: Recipes from around the world

Do you miss traveling? Inquirer food editor Jamila Robinson writes about cookbooks on sale and coming this fall that can take you around the world. “While the books are no match to meeting the fisherman who catches your dinner in the south of France, they do introduce readers to people they will want to meet and places they will want to visit when it’s safe,” Robinson writes. Read more here.

💰 You just learned your unemployment benefits are running out. Don’t panic.

🎶 Live from an empty club, the all-star Philly Music Fest changes things up for 2020.

🏈 Kirk Cousins says, ‘If I die, I die,’ in response to COVID-19, Neymar tests positive for coronavirus, more sports news.

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

  1. Studies show how cheap steroids can save the lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients, the BBC reports

  2. Apple and Google announced they’re expanding their coronavirus exposure warning system. This means health agencies can use the technology without having to create a customized app, MIT Technology Review reports.

  3. Dr. Anthony Fauci: If clinical trials lead to overwhelmingly positive results, a coronavirus vaccine could be available earlier than anticipated, Kaiser Health News reports. The nation’s top infectious-disease official is confident that an independent panel will base vaccine approval on science, not politics.

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