How to use always-evolving COVID-19 data | Morning Newsletter
And your guide to great food
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Expect a windy day to sweep through our region, making it feel colder than the expected temperatures in the 60s.
Today we’re taking a look at the overwhelming and ever-changing amount of COVID-19 data, with an emphasis on how to correctly interpret it all.
Also, in the celebratory aftermath of Camden staple Corrine’s Place winning a prestigious James Beard Award, we offer a guide to some of the best Black-owned restaurants in the region.
Happy Friday. 🙌🏽
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
As the data on COVID-19 tracker charts continue to rise and fall, we ask ourselves: “What does it all mean?”
While case counts and hospitalizations are still key indicators of both the status and urgency of the pandemic, those metrics don’t necessarily paint an accurate picture of community spread, even with advanced testing.
At-home testing has become far more accessible – but the results of these tests don’t get included in reported case numbers. In attempts to get better data on possible community transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been testing COVID-19 levels in sewage, but even those numbers come with some degree of caution.
Our data reporter Kasturi Pananjady takes a look at data that truly inform the extent of the virus, the severity of ever-evolving variants, and even when all this might end.
What you should know today
While Philly has lifted vaccine restrictions, some restaurateurs still want to see proof.
City Council wants to probe the PPA’s demand of an $11.3 million refund from Philly schools.
These Philly moms lost loved ones to gun violence. The project they started makes sure people don’t forget it.
During a time of volatility in local news media, WHYY has lost nearly half its journalists.
Police arrested two men who they say held a Northeast Philly family hostage this month.
With the NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, this weekend we look at the effect it could’ve had on Sixers legend Allen Iverson.
Check out these images of the new Harry Potter exhibit at the Franklin Institute.
With COVID-19 cases on the decline, more people are booking vacations.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
The news of Corrine’s Place being announced as a James Beard Award winner this week got us thinking of all of the phenomenal Black-owned restaurants that grace Philly and the region.
🏖️ Looking for some authentic Caribbean cuisine? Check out Kingston 11, the delicious Jamaican spot dreamed up by Abbygale Bloomfield and her team in Southwest Philly.
🍗 How about some of the best BBQ around? Try the sweet and zesty sauce from owner Rick Gray at Rick’s BBQ in Mizpah, N.J.
🍳 Where to go to get your brunch on? Consider the fried fish and buttery grits at Breakfast Boutique, courtesy of the empire that restaurateurs Desiree and Robert Pollard have built.
🍕 How about pizza with a purpose? The pizza at Down North near Strawberry Mansion is phenomenal but is second to the fact that this restaurant gives back and offers jobs to formerly incarcerated people.
Our Craig LaBan and Jillian Wilson teamed up to offer even more Black-owned options the next time we’re feeling a bit peckish.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
We’re offering up the Philly coach regarded as a role model to many young athletes, readily described as “larger than life.” Today’s question: Do you know who? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. Dawn Staley
b. John Chaney
c. Bruiser Flint
What we’re …
🤩 Excited about: Philly’s own DJ Diamond Kuts will host MTV’s reboot of Yo! MTV Raps.
🤮 Reading: You’ve heard of “opportunity zones,” but wait until you discover what a “sacrifice zone” is.
🏀 Watching: The latest from NBA All-Star Weekend, courtesy of our reporters Gina Mizell and Keith Pompey, today at 4:30 p.m.
Photo of the day
That’s all I have for you today. Ashley Hoffman has you covered for our Sunday Morning Newsletter and I’ll be back to get your week started on Monday. 👋🏽