Northwest, north-central Pa. may be the first to ease coronavirus limits, Wolf says; SEPTA union postpones Thursday ‘action’ over virus concerns

Gov. Tom Wolf has announced new guidelines for reopening the state, outlining a phased approach to easing restrictions region-by-region as cases decline. The three phases, labeled red, yellow and green, will be based on a region meeting criteria similar to those outlined by the White House, including seeing only 50 new cases per 100,000 people across 14 days, as well as strong testing rates and contact tracing. North-central and northwestern Pennsylvania could be the first areas to see restrictions lifted as early as May 8, Wolf said at Wednesday’s press briefing.

Plus, while much of the region is ordered to stay home, tens of thousands still take SEPTA daily. They’re the people who stock grocery store shelves, staff front desks at apartment buildings, and care for the sick. Their jobs require them to risk exposure to COVID-19 at work — and on the way there. SEPTA’s much-depleted service has turned their trips into grueling endurance tests.

» LIVE COVERAGE FOR APRIL 23: Northwest, north-central Pa. could see an easing of coronavirus limits on May 8; SEPTA during the COVID-19 crisis can mean a grueling commute for essential workers

In early March, Yuming Wang, a Philadelphia lawyer, watched with increasing concern reports of racist incidents against Asian Americans over coronavirus fears trickle in from other cities. A Chinese woman was attacked for wearing a mask in New York City. A 16-year-old Asian American student was physically assaulted in Los Angeles.

Wang, who is the honorary chairman of the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition, decided to create a WeChat group for Chinese Americans who were worried about the rising numbers of racist incidents during the pandemic. Soon after, he began working closely with state and local police, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, and other law enforcement agencies to encourage Chinese Americans who experience racist incidents to report them.

“Chinese Americans have been increasingly worried about their safety every day, and the issue is getting deeper and deeper into their mental health concerns,” Wang said. “Among [the group members], the biggest concern is that when someone goes somewhere, [they] may be attacked, verbally or physically, because of being Asian or Chinese Americans.”

Many Philadelphians are reluctant to leave their homes because of fears over contracting COVID-19. But members of the city’s Asian American communities have an additional worry — many are growing increasingly anxious about dealing with racist incidents, which can lead to negative mental health effects.

» READ MORE: Asian Americans already face a mental health crisis. Coronavirus racism could make it worse.

— Bethany Ao

Richard Ost has run Philadelphia Pharmacy in the city’s Kensington neighborhood since 1983. It’s the one you can’t miss for the bright blue mural that washes over the building. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, he made some changes: He engaged more drivers to deliver prescriptions, bought masks for his employees, and hired another person to keep watch over the entryway and provide masks to customers without them.

People still need their prescriptions, and Ost is delivering them, for free, at a clip of 150 customers a day, up from 20 to 30 deliveries before. But when he looked at the books last month, amid lower drug reimbursements and fees that kicked in before the crisis, Ost and his wife wondered whether it was time to retire.

Then Ost resigned himself to the 2020 reality: His business will lose money this year.

“I’m looking at it like the next six months are a charity operation,” Ost said. "Let’s give back to the community that has provided to us over the years.”

Pharmacies are high on the list of essential businesses that have remained open during the pandemic. But independent pharmacists in the Philadelphia area say that, at a time when they are doing more to meet demand, they are struggling with low reimbursements and professional services fees, particularly from Pennsylvania’s Medicaid managed-care program.

» READ MORE: Small pharmacies are under financial pressure just when they’re needed most: ‘The math doesn’t work’

— Catherine Dunn

On April 14, former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Herbert Vederman was told he had been selected for early release amid the coronavirus pandemic, along with most of his fellow inmates at the minimum-security prison camp in upstate New York where he is serving a sentence for his conviction in the political corruption case that brought down U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah.

Vederman moved to a medium-security lockup to serve out a 14-day quarantine period and was eagerly counting down the days until he could finish the rest of his two-year term under confinement at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla.

But on Monday — one week before the 74-year-old’s scheduled departure — the U.S. Bureau of Prisons reversed course.

In a decision that has caused chaos for dozens of federal inmates and their families, and sowed confusion among wings of the executive branch, U.S. prison administrators revoked several of their earlier release decisions this week and said they would no longer consider inmates who had served less than half of their sentences.

» READ MORE: Prison officials told former Philly deputy mayor he’d be released early due to pandemic – then reversed course

— Jeremy Roebuck

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has announced new guidelines for reopening the state, outlining a phased approach to easing restrictions region-by-region as cases decline.

The three phases, labeled red, yellow and green, will be based on a region meeting criteria similar to those outlined by the White House, including seeing only 50 new cases per 100,000 people across 14 days, as well as strong testing rates and contact tracing.

North-central and northwestern Pennsylvania could be the first areas to see restrictions lifted as early as May 8, Wolf said at Wednesday’s press briefing.

» READ MORE: Full list of what you can and can’t do under Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus ‘stay-at-home’ order

The restrictions lifted in each phase follow similar standards as outlined by the White House, with the “yellow phase” being equivalent to entering phase two, with schools remaining closed and some businesses starting to open.

The “green phase” would allow most businesses to reopen, but universal masking could still be required, Wolf said.

Wolf said reopening dates announced could be pushed back if new cases are announced, and if another surge follows, the restrictions may have to be reapplied.

“I am attempting to provide as much certainty as I can, even though the virus ultimately controls the calendar for each and every one of us,” said Wolf.

» READ MORE: Pa. regions with few coronavirus cases can begin reopening May 8 under new tiered system, Gov. Tom Wolf says

— Ellie Rushing

Mayor Jim Kenney’s involvement has prompted Transport Workers Union Local 234 to “postpone” a call to action that could have disrupted SEPTA service Thursday.

“No, I’m not satisfied, but again, when the mayor comes in … you can’t just say no,” said TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown.

Brown did not impose a new deadline for SEPTA to meet a list of demands to safeguard against the coronavirus, but said he would allow for “a couple days” to find a resolution.

SEPTA’s assistant general manager of labor relations too sent a letter to Brown Wednesday that detailed steps the authority has taken to ensure safety of riders and employees.

» READ MORE: SEPTA warns of possible ‘significant service disruptions’ Thursday as union threatens action

— Patricia Madej

President Donald Trump said he “strongly” disagreed with the decision by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to allow some businesses to reopen without following federal guidelines.

“I told the governor I disagree with his decision,” Trump said at his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday. “It’s just too soon.”

The establishments, such as spas, beauty salons, and tattoo parlors “can wait a little longer he said.

”But the president also called some efforts to reopen businesses a “beautiful thing to see,” while warning that “we must guard against a dangerous rebound.”

Trump also announced that the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels would perform air shows across the country to pay tribute to the front-line workers combating the pandemic.

And the president said he had signed an executive order to restrict all immigration into the country to fight the spread of the virus.

— Robert Moran

Though the coronavirus has caused life-threatening havoc and widespread economic damage, it has had other, unforeseen impacts: less pollution, a renewed embrace of gardening for some, less-threatened wildlife in some areas, and even better views of the Himalayas.

For sure, the virus’ sweeping negative effects are devastating. But, here are some of the top ways it has had some positive impact, even if only temporary, in time for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

» READ MORE: 7 ways the planet has gotten better since the coronavirus shutdown

— Frank Kummer

The new mayor of Upper Darby ran on a pledge to modernize the government of Pennsylvania’s sixth-largest municipality. Then the coronavirus pandemic forced her to take down all the basketball hoops in the Delaware County township of 83,000 — a painful move for a former professional basketball player.

In New Castle, the new mayor wanted to fix the western Pennsylvania city’s forlorn finances. Instead, he’s furloughing workers as his tax base evaporates.

And in Williamsport, the new mayor had to justify canceling popular events that fuel the northern Pennsylvania city’s local economy.

A crop of newly installed mayors across Pennsylvania, still catching their breath after what one called a “roller coaster” first 100 days in office, have seen policies and priorities shift swiftly on the front lines of local governments confronted by the pandemic.

Instead of just the usual city challenges of pensions and potholes, they’re dealing with an unprecedented public health crisis and economic collapse, recovery from which will continue deep into their four-year terms.

» READ MORE: New mayors in Pa. had plans. Then coronavirus turned their first 100 days into ‘a roller coaster.’

— Chris Brennan

Philadelphia police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who allegedly spat in peoples’ faces on two consecutive days while shopping inside of a store on the 1700 block of Chestnut Street.

On Saturday, the woman allegedly spat on an unidentified store employee after engaging in a verbal altercation, police said.

She returned the next day around 11:30 a.m. and engaged in another altercation with a customer regarding social distancing, police said. She then lowered her mask, swore at the customer, and said, “I don’t have the virus,” then spat in the person’s face. The person was wearing glasses and a face covering and was not injured.

The woman then fled the store. Police are asking anyone with information about the alleged offender to call 215-686-3093.

UPDATE:

» READ MORE: Police are looking for a woman who allegedly spat in person’s face while shopping in Di Bruno Bros.

— Ellie Rushing

Aramark, the Philadelphia food-and-uniform services giant that has seen chunks of its business disappear because of the coronavirus pandemic, said Wednesday that the crisis reduced its revenue by $325 million in the quarter ended March 27.

That loss from roughly two weeks last month amounts to about 8% of the revenue Aramark expected in the quarter, which saw the closure of schools and universities where Aramark services meals and the suspension of events in arenas where the company sells beers and hot dogs. Compared with the same quarter a year ago, revenue is down 5.4%, Aramark said.

The hit to operating income of about 30% was even greater. Aramark said in its release on preliminary quarterly results that its adjusted operating income was $70 million lower than it would have been without the coronavirus-related disruptions. The final figure is expected to be in the range of $157 million to $167 million when the company reports final results next month.

Aramark said it had taken steps before the end of the quarter to reduce expenses, such as renegotiating client contracts and reducing salaries for executives. The company did not say how many of its 150,000 employees in U.S. food service operations, many of them part timers who are not paid if operations shut down, had been furloughed.

» READ MORE: Just two weeks of coronavirus shutdowns hammered Aramark’s revenue and profits

— Harold Brubaker

Two Victoria Manor workers, both of whom requested anonymity out of fear of reprisal, told the Center for Public Integrity the facility seemed to downplay the threat of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. They complained that all employees in patient care areas, including janitors and food service staff, weren’t required to wear protective masks and gowns until March 26.

When entering rooms of residents who appeared very ill, the second worker said, employees felt like “lambs led to slaughter.” As of Monday, Victoria Manor had 52 coronavirus cases and nine deaths among its employees and residents.

The Victoria Manor experience illustrates how senior care facilities followed federal coronavirus advisories differently, and could have contributed to the spread of COVID-19 through America’s nursing homes, where at least 7,000 have died from the virus. And it shows how employees at these facilities — often poorly paid, female, and people of color — have largely felt powerless as the pandemic has exploded.

» READ MORE: At a Cape May nursing home with 9 coronavirus deaths, workers say warning signs were ignored

— The Center for Public Integrity

Renters are facing another round of payments to their landlords amid soaring unemployment and financial strain as the coronavirus pandemic wears on.

Nearly a third of Americans didn’t pay their rent on time in April, according to a report from the National Multifamily Housing Council. And more than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians have filed for unemployment compensation since Gov. Tom Wolf closed nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

Pennsylvania doesn’t have the strongest protection for renters who have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. The group rated Pennsylvania a 3.13 out of 5 in a recent report, noting that evictions could surge in the commonwealth. New Jersey, meanwhile, did much worse, scoring 1.65 out of 5. Delaware got a score of 3.88.

But what does all that mean for May? Here is what you need to know.

» READ MORE: Do I need to pay my rent? Renters rights in Philadelphia during the coronavirus pandemic

— Nick Vadala

Gov. Phil Murphy noted while New Jersey prepares to reopen, the state is making efforts to ensure it is prepared for the “spike of new cases” it will inevitably see when the economy restarts.

Murphy noted he is partnering with the governors of New York and Connecticut to start a robust “contact tracing” program that will be critical to a safe and coordinated reopening of states in the region.

He also said the state has purchased 500 ventilators to add to the state’s inventory of lifesaving equipment. Murphy noted these will help hospitals deal with any potential surge of patients hospitals see now, or in the future.

“This puts us in position to be better prepared for potential spikes as we look to reopen,” Murphy said. “And for spikes many predict will continue through fall into winter.”

The governor, in a display of significant anger, also addressed comments made by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on conservative talk radio Wednesday, saying he is in “favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route” as they struggle from the pandemic.

“That is completely and utterly irresponsible,” Murphy said. “This is no time for wishing bankruptcies … This is the time to stand up on a bipartisan basis and be there for the states in America.”

He also said while New Jersey is “grateful” for the nearly $500 billion coronavirus stimulus package being finalized by federal lawmakers, he urges congressional leaders to add money for states.

“The choices we will have to make absent federal assistance are dire,” Murphy said. “We are dealing with an unprecedented public health crisis that will be followed by an unprecedented fiscal crisis; one that experts believe will dwarf the great recession.”

Murphy also signed legislation ordering hospitals to report demographic data on every person who is admitted to a hospital and dies from the coronavirus. It will be made publicly available and include age, ethnicity, gender and race.

— Pranshu Verma

Two additional Montgomery County residents, ages 61 and 75, have died from the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday, bringing the county’s confirmed death toll to 174.

Additionally, for the first time, the county reported 77 additional presumptive coronavirus-related deaths since the virus began, which includes people who are assumed to have died from the virus but were not tested to confirm, said Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

The presumptive death toll totals 251, Arkoosh said. About 62% of the total deaths have been residents of long-term care facilities.

Arkoosh also reported 106 new cases Wednesday, bringing the county’s case total up to 3,093.

» READ MORE: These are the people the Philadelphia region has lost to coronavirus

One of the additional cases came from an inmate of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Dr. Arkoosh said, bringing the jail’s case total up to six inmates, with one awaiting test results. She said two of those inmates have recovered, and the other four are stable and recovering in isolation.

Since March, she said, the number of inmates at the facility has decreased by 28%.

— Ellie Rushing

The Philadelphia Parking Authority has asked Pennsylvania to set standards for the cleaning and disinfection of for-hire vehicles as the state looks toward a gradual economic reopening beginning May 8.These potential standards would encompass transportation vehicles used as taxis, rideshares, limos, and food delivery services.

In a letter sent to Health Secretary Rachel Levine on Wednesday, the PPA suggested required cleaning procedures similar to those that will soon be implemented on a voluntary basis in Philadelphia amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The parking authority is considering its own regulations for Philadelphia, and it will start a voluntary “Clean Driver Program” beginning Monday. Ride-share, taxi, limo, and food delivery drivers will be able to pick up cleaning kits and personal protective equipment, and get a professional deep cleaning of their cars at a discounted rate, at the underground parking garage at Independence Mall, PPA executive director Scott Petri said in a Wednesday interview.

The health department did not respond to a question regarding whether the secretary had any initial thoughts on the suggestion, and instead directed a reporter to the state’s initial guidance on coronavirus mitigation efforts and best practices for ride-share companies.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia Parking Authority asks Pa. to institute protocols for cleaning of ride-share, food delivery vehicles

— Erin McCarthy

SEPTA is warning riders that there could be “significant service disruptions” Thursday as the union representing thousands of employees is threatening to take a job action.

It’s not clear what a potential work stoppage would look like, but SEPTA said bus service across the city could be suspended. SEPTA is examining other options to maintain service, including limited operations on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines.

Transport Workers Union Local 234 has issued a set of demands to safeguard employees and riders against the coronavirus.

“SEPTA urges TWU Local 234 leadership to commit to engaging in a productive dialogue aimed at making further improvements, while allowing employees to continue to provide service that is connecting residents to essential jobs, hospitals, grocery stores and other life-sustaining services,” SEPTA said in a statement.

» READ MORE: SEPTA warns of possible ‘significant service disruptions’ Thursday as union threatens action

— Patricia Madej

Pennsylvania reported 1,156 new coronavirus cases and 58 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the statewide totals to 35,684 cases and 1,622 deaths among positive and probable cases.

Health officials did not hold their usual afternoon press conference on the coronavirus, but a spokesperson said yesterday’s count of probable virus deaths was recalculated “as part of the data cleaning process.”

As of Wednesday, 297 of the cumulative deaths were in probable cases, in which people had not received positive coronavirus test results but the virus was listed as having contributed to their death.

» READ MORE: These are the people the Philadelphia region has lost to coronavirus

More long-term care facilities continue to report coronavirus cases. Nearly 6,000 residents and staff have been sickened at 407 facilities across the commonwealth.

Hospitalizations remained steady from Tuesday with 2,764 virus patients being treated at the state’s hospitals, which still have open beds and ventilators.

— Erin McCarthy, Sara Simon

Two cats have tested positive for coronavirus, the first two pets in the United States to contract the virus, federal officials announced Wednesday.

The two cats, who live in two separate areas of New York state, had mild respiratory illness and “are expected to make a full recovery,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Wednesday.

According to the agency, one cat was tested after it showed mild respiratory signs, despite no individuals in the household contracting the virus. The owner of the second cat tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the cat showing signs of respiratory illness.

» READ MORE: CDC reports first known cases of coronavirus in pet cats

The CDC said “there is no evidence that pets play a role in spreading the virus,” but recommends several steps pet owners can take to keep their housemates safe, including:

For pet owners who have tested positive for coronavirus, the CDC recommends restricting contact just as you would around other people. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, the CDC suggests wearing a cloth face covering and washing your hands before and after you interact with your pets.

Sadly, the agency also suggests avoiding "petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food.”

Earlier this month, a tiger at the Bronx Zoo named Nadia tested positive for coronavirus. Karen A. Terio, the chief of the zoological pathology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told the Inquirer a receptor in the tiger’s airways was close enough to its human counterpart that the virus was able to latch on.

» READ MORE: They said pets couldn’t get the coronavirus, so how did a tiger test positive? Vets explain.

— Rob Tornoe

As the curve of coronavirus infections has flattened in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday 5,063 people have now died from the coronavirus in the Garden State.

Another 3,551 people have tested positive, increasing the state’s positive county to 95,865. An additional 314 people died overnight.

» READ MORE: These are the people our region has lost to coronavirus

Over 7,200 people are hospitalized, with 1,983 in critical care. Murphy said 1,570 people are on ventilators.

“We need these numbers to decrease,” Murphy said. “But not seeing them increase is a good starting point.”

— Pranshu Verma

The food giveaway was sponsored by the Food Bank and Unite Here Local 54, which represents about 9,000 of the Atlantic City’s nearly 27,000 casino workers. All casino workers were eligible for Wednesday’s food donation. Some also volunteered, like the crew of banquet servers from Harrah’s and Borgata repurposing their skill sets.

The turnout was sobering. At one point, a police car with flashing lights escorted the big box truck of food coming from the food bank with additional food through all the traffic to the distribution point. It only underscored the urgency of the moment.

These casino workers have already been through plenty: bankruptcies and closures, Hurricane Sandy, the devastating recession of 2008, seasonal layoffs, strikes.

But the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down all nine casinos on March 16, seemed to them somehow worse than all of that.

» READ MORE: Out of work Atlantic City casino workers jam traffic for miles in line up for donated food

— Amy S. Rosenberg

A day ahead of its threat to take “action,” SEPTA’s union leader is suggesting riders “find an alternate way to work” Thursday morning.

Transport Workers Union Local 234 President Willie Brown said its members were not striking, but did not elaborate on further details during a news conference Wednesday. The union represents thousands of SEPTA employees.

“Our position is we have to fight for this,” Brown said. “Not something we want to do, it’s something we’re forced to do, we’re going to have to do.”

Among a set of demands listed on its website, TWU Local 234 wants SEPTA to take employees’ temperatures, test air quality on vehicles, and further reduce the amount of riders onboard. It insists SEPTA is not complying with guidance outlined by Pennsylvania officials last week, and seeks greater transparency in which employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Brown issued a potential “call to action” in a video posted Monday, outlining that its members would be forced to take steps should the authority fail to respond.

Mayor Jim Kenney says that his administration is working with SEPTA to try to prevent a work stoppage and "get this resolved in an amicable way."

"We hope that cooler heads will prevail and the union will get what they’re looking for so that SEPTA can continue serving its citizens," he said.

Managing Director Brian Abernathy said the city is also working to plan for how its essential employees, including police and fire department employees, can get to work and get alternate transportation in the event of a SEPTA stoppage.

SEPTA did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

— Patricia Madej, Laura McCrystal

One month ago, as the country went into lockdown to prepare for the first wave of sick, many doctors felt confident they knew what they were dealing with. Based on early reports, covid-19 appeared to be a standard variety respiratory virus, albeit a very contagious and lethal one with no vaccine and no treatment. But they’ve since learned that covid-19 attacks not only the lungs, but also the kidneys, heart, intestines, liver and brain.

And many are also reporting bizarre, unsettling cases that don't seem to follow the textbooks they've trained on. They describe patients with startlingly low oxygen - so low that they would normally be unconscious or near death - talking and swiping on their phones. Asymptomatic pregnant women suddenly in cardiac arrest. Patients who by all conventional measures seem to have mild disease deteriorating within minutes and dying in their homes.

With no clear patterns in terms of age or chronic conditions, some scientists now hypothesize that at least some of these abnormalities may be explained by severe imbalances in patients' blood.

The concern is so acute that some doctors groups have raised the controversial possibility of giving preventive blood thinners to everyone with covid-19 - even those well enough to endure their illness at home.

» READ MORE: A mysterious blood-clotting complication is killing coronavirus patients

— The Washington Post

Philadelphia’s peak of the coronavirus pandemic thus far occurred in early April and was “higher than what we previously thought,” Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said Wednesday.

That new insight came Wednesday, as the city announced 615 new confirmed cases of the virus. That number represented the largest daily count reported to date, but many of them were confirmed through test results 10 or more days ago and had not yet been identified as Philadelphia residents, Farley said.

With the updated data, the city had the highest number of cases thus far confirmed per day between April 8 and April 10, with 545 or 546 cases confirmed each of those days.

“So right now our peak is there in early April,” Farley said. “We hope it stays that that’s the highest point but we’ll have to watch .. to see if the decline we’re seeing since then continues.”

The city had about 400 new cases confirmed Wednesday, Farley said, which is about level with the number of daily case totals reported in the last week.

“Still though, over 400 cases a day is many cases,” he said. “The virus is still out there.”

The city also announced 29 additional deaths connected to the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the city’s total death count to 423.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to rise in the Philadelphia area, Farley said. As of Wednesday, there were 949 patients hospitalized in Philadelphia and 1,824 people hospitalized with the coronavirus in the greater Philadelphia area. The extra hospital space at Temple University’s Liacouras Center was treating six patients as of Wednesday, Farley said.

» READ MORE: Tracking the spread of coronavirus in Philadelphia and beyond

— Laura McCrystal

Philadelphia has delayed the implementation of its ban on single-use plastic bags that had been set to take effect in July.

That start date is “no longer realistic,” Mayor Jim Kenney announced Wednesday.

» READ MORE: A grocery store owner kept fighting efforts to ban plastic bags in Philly. This time he won’t stand in the way.

The ban will now take effect in January, 2021.

“This is not an announcement we want to make during Earth Week,” Kenney said, but noted that the city must be responsive to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses in the city.

» READ MORE: Philly delays plastic bag ban until January amid coronavirus pandemic

» READ MORE: Philly City Council reaches compromise on plastic bag ban and regulations on bed bugs infestations

— Laura McCrystal

As the coronavirus continues to creep its way into prisons and jails, one of the Philadelphia region’s large-scale detention facilities has has yet to report a single case.

As of Wednesday, none of the roughly 1,000 inmates in the Federal Detention Center in Center City had tested positive for the virus, nor had any of its 229 corrections officers or support staff.

But whether that infection-free status is the result of sheer luck, a combination of preparation and vigilance, or something else entirely remains a matter of debate.

» READ MORE: One Philadelphia prison has yet to report a single case of the coronavirus. But it hasn’t tested any inmates.

— Jeremy Roebuck

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he is working with his counterparts in New Jersey and Connecticut to build a “tracing army” that can test, trace, and isolate citizens who have contracted COVID-19 across all three states.

“It’s best to do this tracing on a tri-state area … the virus doesn’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries,” Cuomo said during his Wednesday press briefing.

Cuomo said putting together a program that can trace millions of people across all three states is a “massive undertaking,” but announced that former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has volunteered to help develop and implement the regional contact tracing program.

The program will be supported by $10 million from Bloomberg and developed in conjunction with researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Cuomo announced. He also said 35,000 State University of New York and City University of New York medical students will be called upon to help.

“We have to put together a tracing army. We can put together people, we can organize, we can train and we can do it,” Cuomo said. “Yes it’s a big deal, but it’s what we have to do and it’s what we will do.”

— Rob Tornoe

Philadelphia Eagles safety Rodney McLeod and his wife Erika have arranged for the delivery of Tony Roni’s pizza and salads to health care workers testing Philadelphia-area residents for the COVID-19 virus. McLeod has purchased enough pizza and salad to feed 25 workers that will be delivered along with signed mini Eagles helmets. He didn’t attend the event.

— David Maialetti

Philadelphia’s municipal courts will remain mostly closed through the end of May, and evictions typically processed by those courts are on hold for another month.

According to an order signed Wednesday by First Judicial District of Pennsylvania President Judge Idee C. Fox, the judicial emergency in the city, which was set to expire at the end of April, has been extended through May 29, a Friday. New evictions and the enforcement of evictions before the judicial emergency began are on pause until June 1.

» READ MORE: The rent is due, and many can’t pay. Here’s what some Philadelphians are doing in the meantime.

The courts remain generally closed to the public, though some essential functions — including some criminal proceedings and the processing of protection-from-abuse orders — are still in operation.

The order Wednesday also authorized new, remote Orphan’s Court protocols and rescheduled a Sheriff’s sale from June 2 to Sept. 1.

» READ MORE: Pennsylvania’s highest court extends eviction moratorium as coronavirus shutdowns lead to record unemployment

— Anna Orso

Congress is sprinting to approve a $483 billion coronavirus aid package, as the White House and lawmakers begin scoping out the next rescue deal for health care providers and an economy battered by the crisis.

The House is expected to vote Thursday on the latest bill, already passed by the Senate, which would replenish a small-business payroll fund and pump more money into hospitals and testing programs. President Donald Trump has said he would sign it into law.

But the bipartisan effort, Washington’s fourth in response to the crisis, is not expected to be the last as lawmakers take unprecedented steps to confront the virus and prop up communities nationwide amid the health crisis.

» READ MORE: Congress eyes new coronavirus aid, but Mitch McConnell signals ‘pause’

— Associated Press

No, the Navy’s flight demonstration team will not being performing a flyover in the Philadelphia region this week.

Such an event was never planned, despite “internet rumors that got out of control,” said Chief Petty Officer Chad Pritt, public affairs chief for the Blue Angels, which has showcased naval aviation with flyovers and community outreach since 1946.

These rumors began to circulate on social media on Tuesday. Posts claimed both the Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration squads would be involved in the flyover to show support for front-line workers and solidarity with people who have been affected by the coronavirus, as well as to promote national unity amid the pandemic.

That information did not come from the Navy, Pritt said.

» READ MORE: Blue Angels have no plans for Philadelphia flyover amid coronavirus pandemic despite internet rumors

— Erin McCarthy

The faculty union at Rutgers University has called on the school to swiftly distribute federal stimulus dollars to needy students.

The university received $54 million, about half of which must be targeted for emergency aid to students.

“Rutgers has a chance to lead American higher education by centralizing and coordinating CARES Act relief effort,” said Todd Wolfson, president of the union, Rutgers AAUP-AFT. ”Thousands of students in this state and around the country need urgent help, but for too many, the institutions that are eligible for CARES Act funding are moving too slowly.”

The union called on the university to set up a commission to handle applications and distribution.

In a statement last week, Rutgers said the university would distribute aid to chancellors at its campuses “in a way that reflects student need” and that they would hand out the money.“

The distribution process details are being developed,” spokeswoman Dory Devlin said at that time.

— Susan Snyder

With professional sports on a long pause forced by the coroanvirus pandemic, four Philadelphia teams — the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers — teamed up to produce a hype video celebrating residents on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle.

All four teams shared the video on their respective social media accounts, unified by the same message: “We rise above. This is the city of brotherly love."

Not included in the video was the Philadelphia Union, which released its own video on Tuesday.

— Rob Tornoe

Three unions that represent workers at Philadelphia jails have taken the unusual step of calling for judges to reduce the jail population during the coronavirus pandemic.

The unions — which in total represent about 2,500 corrections officers, subcontracted healthcare workers, and social workers — both say releasing incarcerated individuals from jail is a “common sense” measure to help protect workers and the broader community from the coronavirus.

They join a chorus of voices, including criminal justice reform and public health advocates, as well as District Attorney Larry Krasner and Chief Defender Keir Bradford-Grey, in making the same plea.

Around the country, unions in Chicago and California have also advocated for reducing the jail population in their counties. National Nurses United and SEIU Local 73, which represent a total of 600 workers in the Cook County jail, called for officials to “drastically reduce” the jail population. The Cook County jail has become one of the country’s hotspots for virus transmission, the New York Times reported earlier this month.

» READ MORE: ‘Common-sense measures’: Why Philly unions want judges to release inmates from jail

— Juliana Feliciano Reyes

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill and Sixers partner Michael Rubin are teaming up with Madonna to donate an additional 100,000 surgical masks to prisons in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the densely populated facilities.

Half of those masks will be sent to the Cook County Jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections, where more than 600 inmates and staff have been tested positive for the virus, Mill and Rubin’s criminal justice reform organization said Wednesday in a statement.

Another 20,000 will go to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, the Reform Alliance said, and 30,000 masks will be split between California’s Vacaville Prison, the Federal Correctional Institute at Ray Brook near Lake Placid, N.Y; and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts.

Earlier this month, the Reform Alliance, which was founded by Mill, Rubin, and Jay-Z, sent another 100,000 masks to prisons, including Rikers Island in New York.

Public health advocates have called for the temporary release of some nonviolent offenders to prevent further outbreaks at prisons, where social distancing can be difficult. Pennsylvania and New Jersey have taken steps to do that.

However, Mill did not announce plans to send masks to prisons or jails in Pennsylvania or Philadelphia.

» READ MORE: What it’s like to be locked in prison during the coronavirus pandemic

— Erin McCarthy

The stock market opened up sharply on Wednesday after oil prices staged a dramatic comeback following days of historically low prices caused by a lack of demand.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened up about 420 points, about 1.8%, thanks mostly to the U.S. benchmark for oil prices rising 21% on Wednesday. Entering trading today, the Dow was down more than 1,000 points this week.

The Nasdaq opened up about 155 points (about 1.8%), while the S&P 500 opened up about 50 points (nearly 2%).

Also impacting investor optimism was a deal passed in the Senate on Tuesday that will add $483 billion to coronavirus relief efforts, most of which is intended to help small businesses. The House plans to vote on the bill on Thursday.

— Rob Tornoe

A 30-year-old man was charged Sunday with threatening to run over people at a coronavirus test site in Barrington, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said.

After finding out a testing site was being run at a nearby Rite Aid, Jacob Carr, 30, of Barrington, posted to a community Facebook page, saying: “I’m gonna run you all over with my SUV if I see anyone getting tested,” authorities said. Concerned residents alerted police, who said they traced the account — which was under a fake name —- to Carr.

He was charged with making terroristic threats, authorities said, and violating emergency orders “by impeding the performance of an emergency function.”

New Jersey continues to strongly enforce Gov. Phil Murphy’s pandemic control orders, while Pennsylvania has primarily relied on self-enforcement. People charged with these violations in the Garden State face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

» READ MORE: N.J. has charged more than 1,700 for violating stay-at-home orders but just a handful of citations have been issued in Pa.

Also this week, a 69-year-old Bensalem man was charged for riding his bike on a closed path at the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in Lambertville. Farther north, a 24-year-old man was charged with playing soccer on a field in Mount Olive Township; a 31-year-old man was charged with opening his Dover barber shop to cut his brother’s hair; and a 55-year-old woman was charged for being found inside the Rockleigh Woods Sanctuary after being told it was closed. A 49-year-old Toms River also was charged with violating the orders, among other offenses, after driving around to play Pokemon Go, a virtual reality phone game where users collect the creatures in different locations. Authorities said she was pulled over for driving an unregistered vehicle.

— Erin McCarthy

Two California residents died of coronavirus in early and mid-February, officials in Santa Clara County announced Tuesday night. The results appear to reveal that COVID-19 was spreading through the country earlier than officials previously believed.

The first reported coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. had been on Feb. 26, when two people in a long-term care facility in the Seattle area died after contracting the virus. The new deaths — one on Feb. 6 and one on Feb. 17 — push up that timeline nearly three weeks.

The county also said the individuals did not have any known travel histories that would have put them in contact with the virus, indicating they likely contracted COVID-19 as it spread through the community as early as mid-January.

“Each one of those deaths is probably the tip of an iceberg of unknown size,” Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s chief medical officer, told the New York Times. “It feels quite significant.”

» READ MORE: First U.S. coronavirus death came in early February, weeks earlier than previously thought, autopsies show

— Rob Tornoe

Philadelphia’s famed restaurant scene is approaching a crucial moment of survival.

Several restaurateurs are pleading for the possibility of getting forgivable federal loans through a coronavirus economic rescue package. Some have shifted to takeout and delivery, hoping that someday their bars and dining rooms will reopen. Others fear that they will be forced to shutter.

And all are looking to May 8, when Gov. Tom Wolf wants to start relaxing restrictions on Pennsylvania businesses. Still, restaurant owners aren’t expecting life and business to return to normal.

No one knows how the public will respond: Will they balk at sitting at a bar or settling into a banquette, even with accommodations for social distancing?

» READ MORE: Philly’s struggling restaurants are nearing a moment of truth as the coronavirus crisis drags on

— Erin Arvedlund, Michael Klein

Where is FEMA?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, best known for taking trailers and rations to Louisiana floods, Texas tornadoes and Atlantic hurricanes, is coordinating federal aid to states and cities during the mass closures of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Never before has every state been under a major disaster declaration,” says MaryAnn Tierney, Philadelphia-based boss of the FEMA region that includes Pennsylvania, Virginia, and three other states plus DC. "We have just over 3,000 people deployed to support COVID” efforts nationally.

At the end of February, two weeks before President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, state officials from across Tierney’s district started asking about coronavirus preparations at a routine meeting in Washington. “Everyone could see something significant was happening,” said Tierney.

She said state health and emergency officials brought coronavirus concerns to her staff — outside the prepared agenda — at that routine regional meeting.

» READ MORE: Top FEMA official in Philly on what states still need to deal with coronavirus

— Joseph N. DiStefano

More than 10,000 Philadelphians have tested positive for the coronavirus since the infection was first detected in the city six weeks ago, Mayor Jim Kenney announced Tuesday, as New Jersey moved closer to a staggering total of 100,000 cases and officials throughout the region called for federal help with testing supplies.

Philadelphia could be “not at the worst, but near the worst” of the epidemic, officials said, indicating they hope to know by the end of the week whether the number of new cases is beginning to decline.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey all need a much higher ability to do diagnostic testing for the virus, which is seen as critical to reopening the economy and loosening stay-at-home orders, their leaders warned Tuesday. Swabs used for testing and chemicals needed to analyze results have been in short supply. In one instance, Philadelphia placed an order for 10,000 swabs from a company and received only 500, officials said.

Gov. Tom Wolf said Pennsylvania officials are trying to work with federal emergency officials and the private sector to get more supplies. Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey, where 73 testing sites are operating, will have to “at least double” its testing capacity before he believes it will be safe enough to restart the economy — and that the state “needs the feds in a big way” to do that.

» READ MORE: More than 10,000 Philadelphians infected with the coronavirus; New Jersey won’t start reopening for ‘weeks’

— Justine McDaniel, Erin McCarthy and Pranshu Verma