N.J. tightens restrictions in response to house parties | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, Pa. suspends childhood immunizations requirements, and that has pediatricians worried
TL;DR: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that indoor gatherings will now be limited to 25 people, down from 100. Murphy said the shift is the direct result of concerns over large house parties. The Pennsylvania Department of Health quietly announced late last month that it was temporarily suspending requirements for children’s immunizations, a move that could mark a return for vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, doctors fear.
— Kelly O’Shea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
⚽ Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf indicated Monday that high schools that are doing virtual learning may want to reconsider allowing contact sports this fall.
🏈 Eagles coach Doug Pederson announced Sunday he tested positive for the coronavirus. Still, Pederson said he continues to feel good about the Eagles’ precautions and the NFL’s chances of playing a full season.
👨🏻⚕️ Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a live interview Monday that the COVID-19 surges in much of the country were “not inevitable,” and scientists must remain “humble” as they continue learning how to treat the disease.
🚍 Starting Tuesday, SEPTA will be deploying ambassadors in an attempt to encourage all travelers to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
⚾ The Phillies will travel to New York tonight to resume their schedule against the Yankees, after reporting no positive coronavirus results.
🥪 Wawa announced it is permanently closing its popular Broad and Walnut Streets store due to the impact from the pandemic.
💰Philadelphia has received nearly $4.2 million in federal grant money that will be awarded to organizations that work in homeless outreach and homelessness prevention.
📰 What’s going on in your county? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about.
Local coronavirus cases
📈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.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that indoor gatherings will now be limited to 25 people, down from 100. The new order means that indoor house parties can include no more than 25 people, a shift the governor said is the direct result of concerns over large gatherings and a rising rate of COVID-19 infections. Murphy also announced Monday that face coverings will be required for all students at all times while inside school buildings, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health quietly announced late last month that it was temporarily suspending requirements for children’s immunizations, my colleague Kasra Zarei reports. The move that could send mixed signals to parents about the importance of vaccines, and could mark a return for vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, doctors fear. Neal Goldstein, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Drexel University, said the message “suggests that vaccination can take a back seat to other things right now. But that’s not the case.”
Helpful resources
What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus?
Want to plan a vacation? Here’s what the experts say on how to travel safely.
Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.
How to hire a babysitter during the pandemic.
Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.
You got this: Dining out after COVID
Some of our pre-pandemic dining patterns may seem cringe-worthy now, but in the distant future, will the memory of COVID-19 change our restaurant behavior, my colleague Jenn Ladd asks. Experts in restaurant design say popular dining patterns like eating at the bar or getting together for brunch are not going away any time soon. And we’ll probably still share dessert, too. Read more here.
🍿 For movie theaters in the Philly suburbs, getting customers to show up is a bigger hurdle than getting them to comply with coronavirus restrictions.
🦖 Check out these Philly family attractions that are reopening, with new-normal pricing — from free to $50-plus.
💄 The impact of COVID-19 on our vanity? Well-being will trump how we look, my colleague Elizabeth Wellington writes.
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
As the influenza pandemic swept across the United States in 1918 and 1919, masks played a big role in political and cultural wars, the New York Times writes.
The Atlantic takes a look at how the coronavirus has brought the United States, the world’s most powerful country, to its knees.
A tiny Texas company, called eTrueNorth, is running most of the drive-thru COVID-19 testing in the U.S., Stat reports.
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