Homepage

NJ restaurants, bars can offer in-person, outdoor dining June 15

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey has taken another step on the road to economic recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.Gov. Phil Murphy will allow restaurants and bars to offer in-person, outdoor dining as of June 15.“Restaurants and bars will have to ensure that table seating individual groups are 6 feet apart, and they’ll have to abide by a number of safety protocols that the Department of Health will be issuing,” Murphy said. NEW: Today, I will sign an Executive Order that will allow restaurants and bars to begin offering in-person, outdoor dining on Monday, June 15th. --️Tables seating individual groups must be six feet apart, and other safety and sanitization protocols must be followed. pic.twitter.com/oRyRqhUJWd— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 3, 2020 The state has also received a report on how long-term care facilities have handled the infection. About half of the almost 12,000 coronavirus-related deaths within the state have occurred in nursing homes. Murphy said most of the recommendations will be put into effect in one way or another.“It is a call for all of us to do better. Better communication, better support for staff and residents, better monitoring and better coordination between the state on the one hand and facilities on the other. And we are ready to do better,” he said. The state has now reported 162,068 coronavirus cases.

June 03, 2020

Levine: Southeastern Pa. still on track to enter ‘yellow’ phase on Friday

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Additional efforts are being made in Pennsylvania to contain the coronavirus as Philadelphia prepares to move to the “yellow phase” of the reopening process this Friday. Levine: Southeastern Pa. still on track to enter ‘yellow’ phase on Friday Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said new partnerships are being formed with business, health and educational organizations to help with COVID-19 contact tracing, including a partnership with Temple University College of Public Health."During the month of June, we will be training 200 students from Temple to help with contact tracing,” Levine said. Officials have also been working with the Penn State College of Medicine to recruit medical students to help with contact tracing.Meanwhile, additional testing sites are being established in north, central, and northwest Pennsylvania, and anybody who needs a test can get one. Testing and contact tracing, she emphasized, are crucial elements in containing the virus. She also stressed the importance of rigorous hand washing, wearing masks and taking the precautions needed to prevent people from picking up the virus in the first place, especially as stay-at-home measures are relaxed."COVID-19 is not gone and we do not have anywhere near herd immunity, really, anywhere in the world,” she added. And despite the large gatherings and protests that have been happening in Philadelphia, Levine said southeastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, “are still on track to go to yellow on Friday."She explained here are a number of parameters that are considered when preparing to loosen guidelines on counties from the “red” to the “yellow” phase, including the number of cases in the past two weeks, the number of cases per capita, and percentage of positive tests, which has been going down throughout the commonwealth. She said they're also looking at hospital bed availability and the ability to do testing. Health officials reported 511 new cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to more than 73,000 cases. To date, there have been more than 5,700 coronavirus-related fatalities.

June 03, 2020

Philadelphia firefighter dies from COVID-19

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After a month-long battle with COVID-19, a Philadelphia firefighter has died.Eric Gore, 48, of Engine 37 in Chestnut Hill, served for 24 years in the department. He is the first Philadelphia firefighter to die from coronavirus-related complications. The Philadelphia Fire Department called his passing a “line-of-duty death.”Firefighter Gore most recently served at Engine 37 in Chestnut Hill. Survivors include his brother, PFD Firefighter Lamont Gore. Funeral arrangements are pending.— Philadelphia Fire (@PhillyFireDept) June 3, 2020 “Firefighter Gore saw many ferocious fires and incredibly dangerous situations, but he never hesitated for one second to put himself in harm’s way to save others and protect the city he loved,” said Mike Bresnan, president of the Philadelphia Firefighters' and Paramedics' Union Local 22. “That's what makes his line-of-duty death to COVID-19 so much more difficult to accept. This warrior lost his life to an enemy he couldn't see.”Gore’s brother, Lamont, is also a Philadelphia firefighter. While mourning the loss, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel also pointed out that the coronavirus is still very much in our communities.“We are not out of this thing yet,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can to protect our members, but COVID is everyone's fight. We need everybody to be taking this seriously — even as we move into another phase — and that is the best way you can help us help you, is by wearing your mask and maintaining social distances.“(Gore’s) family wanted me to make a point in saying that.”The union noted its members are satisfied with the COVID-19 safety precautions taken by the fire department, including top-of-the-line personal protective equipment.“We couldn't be happier with the fire commissioner and the PPE he provided and the precautions taken,” added Bresnan. “You got to remember we are exposed on a daily basis prior to this, so we are well-versed in taking precautions, but this is obviously more difficult because it's unseen.”Funeral arrangements for Gore are pending.

June 03, 2020

Lambertville sewers create transparent face masks for deaf people

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Masks have become everyday attire whenever you step outside your house. But for people who are deaf, face coverings create a communication lag, as many rely on reading lips.That’s where the Lambertville Masks Co. comes in.Sara Bizarro and others in Lambertville, New Jersey, had some extra time on their hands — since the coronavirus pandemic took away their jobs. A couple months ago, they started to sew and sell masks, even creating a community Facebook group to buy or sell them.“There are definitely a lot of people looking for them,” said Bizarro. “People want multiple masks because you need to wash them, and it's also fun to have different kinds, different fabrics, different looks to them.”Then, one woman approached the group with a request for a mask for the hearing impaired, who need to see mouths to communicate.Grace Reading — who had never sewed before the pandemic — stepped up and experimented with stitching vinyl, plastic windows into a mask."I watched a YouTube video multiple times,” she said. “I made one and I showed it to her, and she said, ‘Look, do you mind if I give your name out to people who really need these masks?’ And people have been contacting me, and I've been making them.”Reading is teaming up with professionals who work with deaf people, too. She has since made dozens of transparent masks, and the requests continue to pour in.

June 03, 2020

State outlines preliminary guidance on reopening schools

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Department of Education officials say in-person instruction at elementary and secondary schools can resume on July 1.The guidelines apply to school districts in the “yellow” and “green” phases of Pennsylvania's phased-in reopening plan amid the coronavirus pandemic.The governor said last week that Philadelphia and neighboring counties are expected to move from “red” to “yellow” on Friday, at which point all Pennsylvania counties will be out of the “red” phase.Before schools can reopen, they must develop coronavirus health and safety plans based on CDC and Pennsylvania Health Department guidelines.District safety plans must include naming a pandemic coordinator, taking steps to make sure high-risk children are protected, and establishing processes to monitor symptoms in students and staff. The plans also must include protocols for using face masks and social distancing, and rules for cleaning and disinfecting schools. Large school gatherings would be restricted.Postsecondary institutions and adult basic education programs in the “yellow” and “green” phases can also resume on June 5, with the development of a health and safety plan. The Pennsylvania Department of Education is expected to offer more detailed guidance for school openings later this month.

June 03, 2020

Book an outdoor table and schedule a haircut: New Jersey moves into second phase of restrictions

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey will allow outdoor dining and more retail sales later this month as the state starts to relax its COVID-19 lockdown. Gov. Phil Murphy said June 15 is the day people can eat outdoors at restaurants and shop at non-essential stores. And at last, people in New Jersey know when they can get a haircut — salons and barbershops will be permitted to reopen on June 22. Murphy said the specifics of the social distancing components for those businesses will be announced in the coming days. Right now, restaurants and nonessential retail can only do business curbside. At his daily briefing Monday, the governor said the spread of the coronavirus has slowed to the point where it's safe to move into Stage Two of his three-stage plan."The next big step in our restart and recovery is just two weeks away and we're ready to begin moving forward. All the metrics we need to follow from our hospitals are where we need to be and keep trending in the right way,” he said.Murphy said Stage Two won't happen all at once, and he said an announcement on when gyms and health clubs can reopen is forthcoming.With 509 additional positive coronavirus cases, New Jersey now has a total of 160,918 cases, and with 27 additional fatalities, there are now 11,721 coronavirus-related deaths.

June 01, 2020

Tuesday’s primary comes with ‘unprecedented challenges,’ says Pa. secretary of state

HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — On the eve of what she called an election with “unprecedented progress and challenges,” Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar said her office is closely monitoring the riots in Philadelphia and other cities across the state. “On many levels, seemingly more by the day, this will be an election like no other,” she said.In terms of progress, Boockvar cites increased election security and vote-by-mail options, the latter brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. But the unprecedented challenges now include both COVID-19 precautions and civil unrest. Boockvar said 1.8 million voters have been approved for mail-in or absentee ballots, and those ballots need to be returned in person at drop-off locations by 8 p.m. Tuesday — a postmark is not sufficient. She encourages patience, as results on election night will likely take longer than they have in the past. If you are voting in person, Boockvar advises voters to double-check their polling place, as it may have changed. In-person voting will have safety precautions in place. The state has provided counties with sanitary supplies, and Boockvar directs in-person voters to wear a mask, maintain a social distance, wash hands before and after voting.You may want to bring your own black or blue ink pen, too.Boockvar noted that the Department of State is “closely in touch” with emergency management officials and law enforcement, and it is monitoring events related to civil unrest hour by hour. She said it’s up to the governor to decide how the National Guard would be deployed. “Pennsylvania counties are as prepared for this election as they can possibly be,” she added. “We will monitor this hour by hour, day by day, and we will absolutely inform the public of any changes as soon as we become aware of any.”

June 01, 2020

Amtrak resumes modified schedules on 3 popular lines that run through Philly

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The beginning of June marks the return of three popular Amtrak lines that run through Philadelphia. Anticipating an increase in demand for train service, Amtrak is bringing back the Keystone, Pennsylvanian and Acela routes on a modified basis.Keystone, which runs between Philadelphia, New York and Harrisburg, will make nine weekday round trips and six more on weekends, but it will operate temporarily between Philadelphia and Harrisburg only.The Pennsylvanian will make one round-trip run between Philly, New York and Pittsburgh. The Acela will make three weekly round trips along the Northeast Corridor.Passengers will be required to wear face coverings in stations and on trains and follow social distancing. Travelers cannot pay their fares with cash.Conductors will be keeping crowds down at train doors, and the interior of the cars will be sprayed regularly with disinfectant.The financially strapped railroad has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic-induced shutdown. In a memo sent to more than 18,000 Amtrak employees this week, CEO Bill Flynn announced that it will be cutting its workforce by up to 20% by October — despite receiving a $1 billion bailout under the CARES Act.

June 01, 2020

Remote learning attendance increases: 70% of Philly students are logging on

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As the school year winds down, Philadelphia school officials say more students have been participating in online classes. More than 70% of Philadelphia School District students are now logging on to online classes during the coronavirus pandemic closures. Superintendent William Hite said that’s up from 57% in the first two weeks of May.“Every week, it's going up,” he said of student engagement. “But one of the things that we had to figure out was making sure that everyone was using the same approach to counting children that were participating.”Hite said more teachers have been trained in the various ways to register student attendance, whether through Google Classroom logins, phone calls, texts — even pictures of schoolwork. That’s quantity. As for the quality, one of the student representatives on the school board, Abraham Lincoln High School senior Doha Ibrahim, said students she spoke with weren’t impressed with the online lessons.“They feel that the work they are receiving is not challenging at all,” she said. “Instead, students on our call defined it as busywork, and I can testify to that as well.”Hite has said the district’s goal for its remote learning is to limit students’ regression.Looking ahead, the district is still considering what the school year will look like in the fall due to the coronavirus. School officials are discussing a full return to school buildings, a completely online opening, or some hybrid of the two.

June 01, 2020

Flashpoint: New protocols for businesses post-COVID-19; Philly prisons turn a corner; #WeArePhilly feeding hungry

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — This week on Flashpoint: Host and KYW Community Affairs reporter Cherri Gregg asks the burning questions about the reopening of businesses throughout the region. What will the new business protocols look like? Business owners will need to think about how to protect employees and the public, but what are their legal obligations? As an employee, what should you request of your employer so that you are protected? Dr. Larry Caplin, CEO of DOCS Health and healthcare logistics expert, joins Sharon Dietrich, an attorney with Community Legal Services, Inc. and Shanna and Angel Huff, co-owners of Simp's Cafe/Convenience Store in Montgomery County.The newsmaker of the week is the Philadelphia Prisons Department. The agency just rolled out universal testing of inmates, as the city turns a corner in the battle against COVID-19. Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney discusses the challenges of the pandemic behind the wall, new operations procedures and how access to testing will inform their move toward a new normal within the jails.The Patriot Homecare Changemaker of the week is #WeArePhilly. The effort allows the public to purchase a t-shirt and proceeds go to purchase a food box for families in need. Creator and restaurateur Rob Wasserman joins us.Flashpoint airs every Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on 1060AM. It also airs at 5 a.m. Sundays on B101FM and WPHT 1210AM and at 6 a.m. on WOGL 98.1 and TDY 96.5. Subscribe to the Flashpoint Podcast on the RADIO.COM app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts by searching "Flashpoint."

May 31, 2020