They caught COVID-19 last March. They’re still sick. | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, Pa. to loosen restrictions on restaurant and bars
TL;DR: Pennsylvania will loosen restrictions on bars and restaurants beginning on Easter Sunday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced. More people also will be allowed into gyms, and other entertainment venues. Doctors don’t know for sure how many people get “long haul” COVID-19 but they are hopeful the vast majority of patients will eventually recover.
— Kelly O’Shea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
💉 COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanded in New Jersey Monday to include transportation workers; migrant farm workers; people experiencing homelessness; and additional public safety workers, such as probation officers and fire safety inspectors.
🏫 In-person classes will resume March 22 for 35 more schools in the Philadelphia School District, officials announced Monday. Prekindergarten through second grade students whose families signed them up to return two days a week will be eligible to come back.
⏲️ At mental health crisis centers in the Philadelphia area, the wait for a bed at a residential treatment center often took days even before the pandemic, particularly for children. COVID-19 precautions, such as testing and quarantining, have made placements even harder.
💰 Billions of stimulus dollars are coming to Pa. and N.J. school districts with higher shares of low-income families to help get them open again.
🙅♀️ Kids at home, chores, and full-time career? Philly’s burnt-out moms are quitting jobs in droves or downshifting careers, which could stunt their incomes for decades, surveys show.
✈️ Nearly four million passengers were screened at U.S. airports by the Transportation Security Administration from Friday to Sunday, the most in any three day period since the pandemic began, the agency reported.
📰 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 case numbers across the Philadelphia continue to increase. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here.
Pennsylvania restaurants will soon be able to seat up to 75% of their capacity indoors, serve alcohol without food, resume bar service, and move last call past 11 p.m., Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday. The loosened restrictions are set to go into effect on April 4, Easter Sunday, and also include personal services facilities; gyms; and entertainment venues, including casinos, theaters, and malls. Establishments must continue to require mask-wearing, stringent cleaning, and other health measures, Wolf said. Philadelphia officials are reviewing what city restrictions might be eased following Wolf’s announcement.
Joy Ezekiel-Gibson and Michael Clark both caught COVID-19 last March during the first wave. Ezekiel-Gibson, 47, of Atco, Camden County, survived 17 days on a ventilator. Clark, a 32-year-old runner from Philadelphia, fought the virus at home despite serious symptoms because he was afraid to go to the hospital. A year later, the two have one thing in common. They are not back to normal. Often, long haulers complain of “brain fog” or problems with concentration. There are also numbness from nerve damage, muscle weakness, and heart-rhythm problems. Doctors are hopeful the “vast majority” of patients will, eventually recover, because they are seeing slow improvement continue in many long haulers.
Helpful resources
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
Who gets $1,400? And other stimulus questions, answered.
What to know about face masks, including whether to double up and when it might be time to replace yours.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, common cold, and allergies can overlap. How to tell the difference.
You got this: Luck of the Irish
Irish potatoes are a Philadelphia tradition that’s more than a century old. In the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, the cinnamon-coated, coconut cream spheres pop up in area candy stores, gift shops, and supermarkets. My colleague Grace Dickinson explains how these sweet treats are made, and where can you buy them in the Philadelphia region.
💰 How to take advantage of the federal stimulus bill’s health insurance benefits.
⛵ The best in-person and virtual things to do with your kids this week in Philadelphia.
👩💻 From anxiety to eye strain, here’s how to practice Zoom self-care.
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
Trump voters said they “want to be educated, not indoctrinated,” as public health leaders rush to win over the millions of Republicans who say they don’t plan to get a shot, The Washington Post reports.
Kaiser Health News reports that the boom in out-of-state telehealth could threaten in-state providers.
When the pandemic became real: New York Times readers describe the ways the pandemic first hit them and upended their lives, in their own words.
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