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The news giving health officials hope | Morning Newsletter

Has omicron peaked?

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

It’s a slushy day with highs in the low 40s. Look outside and you might see the light 1 to 2 inches of early snowfall weather officials expected to be a rush-hour nuisance.

Today we’ve got the latest on the omicron wave in the Philly region: Officials believe the COVID-19 variant may have peaked.

— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

With both cases and deaths on a steady decline in Philly and the region, health officials are cautiously optimistic the worst of the omicron surge may be behind us.

Cases in Philly, South Jersey, and many surrounding counties all peaked roughly a week ago, according to an Inquirer analysis. We’re talking by as much as a third in South Jersey, a quarter in the burbs, and by as much as 40% in Philly.

Hospitalizations are also down in Philly and its collar counties, after the variant overwhelmed hospitals in recent weeks.

Our reporters Justine McDaniel, Jason Laughlin, and Erin McCarthy have the latest.

What you should know today

  1. Mumia Abu-Jamal has again appealed his conviction for fatally shooting a Philadelphia police officer.

  2. A man who threatened lynchings in emails to Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw was sentenced to four years in prison.

  3. Philly and its suburbs have some of the most polluted waterways in the state.

  4. Eagles GM Howie Roseman said Jalen Hurts has done what it takes to earn the role of starting quarterback.

  5. Wondering what kind of face mask is best? Here’s what you need to know.

  6. Two Penn scholars say we can’t blame teachers — or their unions — for COVID-19 school closures.

  7. Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠

So it looks like the Sixers could offload Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, and troubled point guard Ben Simmons to Sacramento. Wow. Today’s question: Do you know how much in salary the move would free up on the Sixers roster? Take a guess below and then read the latest from our reporter Keith Pompey to see if you’re right.

a. $71.7 million

b. $80.2 million

c. $56.5 million

What we’re …

  1. 📚 Reading: With coronavirus vaccines widely available, people are finding that empathy for the death of unvaccinated family members is drying up.

  2. 👏🏽 Applauding: An initiative by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and Philly schools to get more Black and Latino students vaccinated.

  3. 🏆 Recognizing: Penn’s Kelly Writers House, which is celebrating its 25th year being a literary haven.

Photo of the day

Stay safe out there today. I’ll be back to close out the week tomorrow. ✌️