Regions with few cases could begin reopening May 8 | Morning Newsletter

First, some news: Gov. Tom Wolf yesterday evening announced a new system for relaxing lockdown restrictions. Areas with a downward trajectory of cases over a two-week period and an adequate number of available hospital beds could begin a limited reopening on May 8. He specifically mentioned areas in the north-central and northwestern parts of the state would likely hit that benchmark first.

— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Tens of thousands of essential workers take SEPTA each day. And their changed commutes are just one of the ways life has been altered during the pandemic.

For many, commutes have gotten longer due to coronavirus-induced schedule changes. Their jobs require them to risk exposure to the coronavirus — and so do their commutes. My colleagues followed one essential worker who takes two buses and both the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines to get to work during his now-2½-hour commute.

Renters are facing another round of payments to their landlords as unemployment soars and financial strain related to the coronavirus pandemic grows. In April, nearly a third of Americans didn’t pay their rent on time, according to a report from the National Multifamily Housing Council.

You might have heard about “rent strikes,” and could be wondering what that means and how it could impact you. Maybe you can’t afford your rent anymore and need to talk to your landlord. My colleague talked to lawyers and other experts to break down renters’ rights.

Relatives. Friends. Neighbors. Colleagues. They’ve all been connected by a shared tragedy: They are victims of COVID-19, and these are some of their stories.

We will continue to tell the personal stories of COVID-19 victims in our region at Inquirer.com/peoplewelost.

Did you do anything to celebrate Earth Day yesterday? Thanks for sharing this garden pic, @jessburghaus!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

“We have taken great strides forward since we celebrated the first Earth Day 50 years ago. Now is not the time to turn our back on progress. We must do all that we can to build a sustainable future while protecting public health.” — writes Joseph Minott, executive director and chief counsel for the Clean Air Council, about what Earth Day should remind Americans of.

Thanks so much for all your suggestions on what you’re reading, watching, listening to, and more. Please continue to send in suggestions to morningnewsletter@inquirer.com with movies, shows, books, articles, recipes, or anything you think I and your fellow Inquirer Morning Newsletter readers might enjoy. I hope to share more in a future issue of the newsletter.

Here’s one from reader Pat Downing: a book called The Revolt of the Black Athlete by Harry Edwards. Pat recommends the book for “so many reasons, one is that racism is not over, it’s evolved.”

Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks, Pat.

Ara Ishkhanian, the owner of Apricot Stone in Northern Liberties, misses his favorite thing about his restaurant: his customers. Just chatting with customers who came in to pick up their takeout orders wasn’t enough. And when restrictions tightened, that went away, too. Now, he is allowing customers to schedule reservations to have him host a dining experience over video chat.