U.K. coronavirus variant found in Philly area | Coronavirus Newsletter

TL;DR: The highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom has been detected in the Philadelphia area for the first time. But researchers have said the variant does not appear to make people sicker, nor has it changed enough that the vaccines will not work. My colleague Alfred Lubrano spoke to low-income Philadelphians about how they are spending their $600 pandemic stimulus payments.

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

🦠 The vaccine reserve the Trump administration vowed to release actually doesn’t exist, dashing hopes of expanded access.

😷 COVID-19 cases are increasing in children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 24, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

🏀 Sports cancellations and postponements caused by COVID-19 mean that recruiters aren’t able to watch Philly athletes play, and these students are now missing college opportunities.

📸 Inquirer staff photographer Tom Gralish has collected images of the ubiquitous social distancing signs of our times. Look through the photos here.

🏥 As drug overdoses rise with the pandemic, two studies show addiction medication can save lives.

📰 What’s going on in your county or neighborhood? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about.

📈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.

The highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom has been detected in a woman who is in her 50s and a resident of both Philadelphia and Bucks Counties, officials announced Friday. This is the second time the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus has been found in Pennsylvania, following a Dauphin County case last week. However, researchers have said the variant does not appear to make people sicker, and it has not changed so much that the vaccines will not work. “Everyone in the area should take this information as a reminder to be even more consistent in wearing masks and keeping distance from others,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley.

People in the Philadelphia region who are in poverty and struggling to make ends meet are most likely to use the $600 pandemic stimulus payments to support their families by paying for rent, food, and medicine, said Judith Levine, director of the Public Policy Lab at Temple University. But for many, $600 is not nearly enough to stretch across all those needs. “It’s absolutely devastating,” said Sam Jones, director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Restaurant Opportunity Center, a national nonprofit that advocates for restaurant workers. “The $600 is woefully inadequate.”

There are restaurants in the suburbs “serving everything from cheesesteaks to breakfast skillets to nachos to shawarma, all without meat and dairy,” my colleague Grace Dickinson writes. Look through her list of some of the best places to check out.

🏠 These are your rights as a tenant in Pennsylvania if you have disability.

😷 Here are Philly’s most creative ways to remind us to follow the COVID-19 safety measures.

🚌 Ten-year-old entrepreneur Micah Harrigan bought a school bus for his lemonade business.

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.

Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here.