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After Philly Fighting COVID controversy, mayor backs health commissioner but demands changes | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, how local hospitals are providing the vaccine to patients

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley wears a mask as he walks through a city coronavirus testing site next to Citizens Bank Park in March.
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley wears a mask as he walks through a city coronavirus testing site next to Citizens Bank Park in March.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: Despite the Health Department’s partnering with a self-described “bunch of college kids” to administer the coronavirus vaccine, Mayor Jim Kenney is standing by Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, according to a letter obtained by The Inquirer. Kenney commended Farley’s “steady leadership,” but said “I am disappointed by what has transpired.” The city partnership with the group Philly Fighting COVID soured as it was learned that it operated a for-profit arm and the CEO gave doses to friends. And see which local hospitals are providing the vaccine to eligible patients.

— Anthony R. Wood (@woodt15, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

🛑 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced tougher restrictions on travelers in response to new, likely more contagious, variants of the novel coronavirus. Travelers will have to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive.

☎️ Beginning Sunday, New Jerseyans will be able to make vaccine appointments over the phone through the state hotline, Gov. Phil Murphy said..

💉 New Jersey officials are working to fix a technical issue that caused some vaccine appointments at the Gloucester County vaccine mega-sites to be double-booked.

🏥 Black and Hispanic children are less likely than white children to receive medical imaging tests, such as ultrasounds, MRIs, and X-rays, during emergency department visits, according to a study by researchers at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

📰 What’s going on in your county or neighborhood? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods 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.

Kenney sticks by his health commissioner in flap over Philly Fighting COVID partnership

In a letter obtained by The Inquirer, Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his continued confidence in Health Commissioner Thomas Farley’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the city’s vaccine partnership with a self-described “bunch of college kids.” The city severed its ties with the Philly Fight COVID after it was disclosed that the group, which claimed to be a nonprofit, had a for-profit arm, and updated its privacy policies to allow for residents’ personal information to be sold. Kenney demanded the department hold clinics at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to provide second does to the 7,000 people who had received first shots administered by the group. The mayor said he was “disappointed” but hailed Farley’s “steady leadership.” In an interview Friday, Farley said, “We made a mistake in working with this organization.”

Is your hospital going to give the COVID-19 vaccine to patients?

For those who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and desperate to get one, the region’s hospitals offer a glimmer of hope. They’re winding down vaccination of employees and other health-care workers, and some are now turning to older patients or those at high risk of serious complications from the coronavirus. Their methods and eligibility rules differ, but they are united on one message: Don’t contact us. We’ll contact you. “We love our patients. We want to help you, but please don’t call us,” said Jonathan Stallkamp, interim chief medical officer at Main Line Health.

Helpful resources

  1. These eight principles of social distancing can help you figure out what you can and can’t do.

  2. If you’ve hit a COVID-19 wall, here are ways to cope.

  3. The coronavirus is mainly transmitted through the air. Here’s how to tell if your ventilation is OK.

  4. How does the virus affect your entire body?

  5. Here’s what to know about traveling safely during the pandemic.

You got this: Take a bite out of Pizza Crime

One vestige of normality you can indulge during the pandemic is eating takeout pizza, and in Haddonfield you can order it from an Indian-born, Benin-raised pizza chef. Arnab Maitra is baking in a Forza Forni nicknamed Lilo at his new shop, Pizza Crime. Pizza Crime? “It just popped into my head,” Maitra said. “Pizza so good it should be a crime.” Maitra has a pedigree background in pizza, learning the Neapolitan style at Osteria and Pizzeria Vetri.

👩‍⚕️ Here five reasons to wear a mask even after you’re vaccinated.

😷 And do you need to wear two masks?

🐝 Sexy side of nature? Here are best things to do in Philly this weekend.

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

  1. Data collection is posing new challenges in the vaccination efforts, Stat reports.

  2. The New Yorker askss: After this over, will office life ever be the same?

  3. The Atlantic explains why you miss people you don’t even know that well.

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