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LATEST PHILADELPHIA CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Hospital visits during COVID-19 pandemic can be scary, but can also be safe

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Anthony Manchio of Broomall is 76 years old and followed the rules. He stayed at home and stayed away from others to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But then there was a problem, and he had to go into Philadelphia to see a doctor at Wills Eye Hospital. As you'd expect, he didn't sleep well the night before the appointment."Not real good," he said. "Worrying about it, believe me."But Manchio had no choice."With the virus and all, I was kind of scared to go into the city and into another hospital," he shared.So Manchio headed into town, and followed the directions to enter through the main door."They would check you over to make sure you know that you didn't have a fever, and do your hands," he described. "They had the stuff there to clean your hands. They were giving out masks there."He said someone else pushed the elevator button, so he didn't have to touch it. The waiting room was nearly empty, easy to social distance. Plexiglass barriers were everywhere and everyone wore a mask, Manchio recalled. He admitted he would have rather stayed home, but seeing the precautions taken, he felt safe and protected.

August 09, 2020

NJ starts ad campaign pushing more people to get tested for COVID-19

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is ready to push a little harder to get people to get tested for coronavirus with a new media campaign.Commercials are running on radio stations, targeting minority communities across the state. Paired with cable TV, billboard and social media advertising, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli hopes to get a specific message out.“The campaign, ‘For Each Other, For Us All,’ reinforces that we are all in this together,” she said. “What one person does or doesn’t do can impact another, and we must work together to protect not just ourselves but our families and our community at large to get through this pandemic.”They’re not just pushing people to get tested — they want residents to cooperate with contact tracers who may call. All information gathered will be kept secure.“Advertising is targeted to reach populations most at risk which include front line workers, seniors, farm workers, and the LGBTQ population,” Persichelli added. “Ads will also run in multicultural communities such as the cities of Newark, Paterson, Elizabeth, Camden, Atlantic City and Trenton.”◾️45% of cases are not providing details on their close contacts◾️In cases where contacts were provided, 48% of them were notified of their exposure◾️20% of cases didn’t answer a contact tracer’s call❗️Please remember, all info will be kept confidential❗️ pic.twitter.com/5UDXMDyQmm— NJDOH (@NJDeptofHealth) August 7, 2020 The campaign is multilingual, with 15 different languages on Facebook alone, and will run through the rest of the summer. The ads will be paid for with $2.8 million in federal funds.

August 08, 2020

NJ offers help to some smaller landlords whose tenants can’t make rent in the pandemic

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is establishing a program to assist landlords and tenants of smaller rentals with federal money to pay for it. NJ offers help to some smaller landlords whose tenants can’t make rent in the pandemic A $25 million fund is being established to provide help to landlords who own between three and 10 units of low- to moderate-income housing. The effort will be overseen by Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver.“We will reimburse property owners whose tenants missed rent payments between April 2020 and July 2020 as a result of COVID-19 as a way of ensuring that their operating costs can be met,” Oliver explained. Those costs could include mortgages, taxes, utilities and the like. It’s expected those landlords will pass those benefits down to tenants.The program will be run through the state Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and funded by federal CARES Act money.Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy again lamented the lack of progress in federal talks to create another economic stimulus package, pointing the finger of blame once more at the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate.“Mitch McConnell may have forgotten that while he gets paid no matter what, millions of taxpayers are hurting and need help yesterday,” the governor told reporters during his regularly scheduled coronavirus briefing in Trenton.He again called on officials in Washington to not only provide help for the millions of unemployed people, but also additional aid for states feeling the pinch these days.New Jersey reached a grim milestone on the COVID-19 front Friday, as the number of confirmed fatalities is now at 14,007, with another 1,853 not yet confirmed by lab testing.That said, statistics compiled over the last week are lower than those of the preceding month, suggesting the state may be regaining control over spread of the virus. Daily fatality reports are in the teens or lower statewide. The number of new positive cases has dropped under 400 a day and the rate of transmission is trending lower, now at 1.15 — the lowest in a week.

August 07, 2020

Penn law professor says employers can require COVID-19 testing

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For years, hospitals have required employees to get flu shots every year. Now with the catastrophic economic and human toll that COVID-19 has taken, will your boss require you to get the vaccine?Employers are allowed to require testing or interventions if employees pose a direct threat to others in the workplace. Allison Hoffman, a professor of health law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, says it must be job related and consistent with business necessity."Requiring employees to get a COVID-19 test is permissible," Hoffman said, "because, if you can imagine, if somebody has COVID and they come into the workplace, they pose a direct threat to others."It's consistent with business necessity to get that kind of test. Doing temperature checks on people, all of those things would be well within the bounds of the law."She says there is an old legal case which would allow for a requirement that people get vaccinations for public health purposes."I don't think it will be the company. I think it will be the government," she said. "I think, if we get a vaccination that's good, then you'll start to see the states and localities mandating that vaccination for public health purposes."She says what's currently not allowed is forcing an employee to get a COVID-19 antibody test, because it's not consistent with the regulations.

August 07, 2020

Surprise announcement from Wolf casts doubt on fate of fall sports in Pa. schools

UPDATED: 4:20 p.m. PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Tom Wolf says he is recommending no school sports until at least the start of 2021. The announcement, made at the very end of a nearly 40-minute press briefing about coronavirus testing, caught just about everyone by surprise. The governor was asked a follow-up to a question from earlier this week about whether parents would be allowed to watch their kids play sports."The guidance is we ought to avoid any congregate settings. And that means anything that brings people together is going to help that virus get us. And we ought to do everything we can to defeat that virus," Wolf said. "So anytime we get together for any reason that’s a problem because it makes it easier for that virus to spread. So the guidance from us, the recommendation is that we don’t do any sports until Jan. 1."About five hours later, the governor’s office clarified the comment, saying it’s not an order or a mandate but a "strong recommendation" from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Department of Health.The governor said the recommendation applies to all K-12 and youth recreational league sports, but the final decision on sports should be made by administrators and locally elected school boards. According to the press release, highlights of the recommendation include: • Applies to team and individual, school and non-school recreational youth sports;• Includes competitions, intramural play and scrimmages;• Continue conditioning, drills and other training activities on an individual basis;• Does not apply to collegiate and professional sports;• Gathering limits remain unchanged - no more than 25 persons may gather indoors and 250 outdoors.The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association had an emergency meeting of their board of directors Thursday, and released a statement afterwards, saying they are "disappointed" in Wolf's decision and will meet Friday to address it. PIAA Update: pic.twitter.com/ue7q7xQy9U— PIAA (@PIAASports) August 6, 2020 Earlier this week, the governor said he thought it would be difficult to justify allowing scholastic sports to go forward in districts that were voting for instruction to be virtual rather than in-person.The PIAA put out guidance for each fall sport at the end of July. Similar to the governor’s guidance on schools, their plan offered flexibility for each school district rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

August 06, 2020

Phillies bullpen continues to be their weakness

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Joe Girardi’s brief tenure as Phillies manager is off to a bumpy start for many reasons, some that are out of his control. His team has experienced a series of pauses — caused by necessary precaution after the Marlins coronavirus outbreak and a gloomy weather forecast that ended up wiping out a game, despite the sky clearing up by the time the game was supposed to start.Some of his big hitters have been inconsistent as they try to find a rhythm after starting and stopping more than once. And then, there’s his bullpen — which was a question mark coming into the season, and has proven to be the weakness many feared. Through six games, the Phils' pen has allowed 17 runs. In Wednesday’s doubleheader, some relievers nearly choked away Game 1’s 11-7 victory, while another spoiled Aaron Nola’s superb 12-strikeout performance in Game 2’s 3-1 loss. It’s performances like Nola’s on Wednesday that can’t go to waste. This highlight is just one (1) inning old, and @AaronNola027 has recorded three (3) strikeouts since. pic.twitter.com/NvpknxH8RD— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 6, 2020 At 2-4, Girardi continues to insist that it’s too soon to judge the bullpen. “We had a quick spring training, and then you have basically a seven-day layoff where no one really pitches,” Girardi said after failing to sweep Wednesday’s twin bill. “I think it’s really hard to evaluate exactly what we’re going to get moving forward.” Earlier this week, the skipper explained that three or four outings are needed to properly assess. Only one reliever has pitched three games heading to Thursday night, and that’s Tommy Hunter. (More on him shortly.)“We want them to turn around,” Girardi said. “I believe they will turn it around, but they just haven’t had consistent work, and it’s hard to be sharp. And we’re playing teams that have been playing every day.” Phillies' bullpen continues to be a weakness Hunter allowed his first runs of the season in the seventh innings of Wednesday’s nightcap. He gave up two while facing five batters and never recording an out. His velocity was underwhelming — allowing three singles and a double, and hitting a batter. A 1-all game instantly become 3-1 Yankees. Nola’s gem was overshadowed. The Phils missed a chance to take two from the mighty Yankees in one day when the rotation’s top hurlers — Nola and Zack Wheeler — were performing very well. “Yeah, you do (feel like you missed a good opportunity),” Girardi said after Nola came up with a no decision despite tying a career high in strikeouts. “You’re able to win the first game ,and then you get a brilliant game by Aaron Nola. But we know how good they are on the other side, and I think you could take a lot of good from that game, even though we don’t win it.” To Girardi, the way Nola, Wheeler (6 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned runs in Game 1) and Jake Arrieta pitched against the Yankees this week is the “good.” However, those positives are neutralized by Hunter’s Game 2 dud, the bullpen’s continuing struggles and the Phils' lineup failing to get on base in 16 of the last 17 plate appearances in that loss.Why Girardi chose Hunter over NerisSo far, one of the few reliable arms Girardi has to choose from in his bullpen is closer Hector Neris, who might have been a better option than Hunter in the seventh inning of Game 2 Wednesday.Girardi says he didn’t want to use Neris in relief of Nola for a particular reason. “I've really never been a guy that thought (pitching a reliever on the front and back end of a double header) that was a really good idea,” he said on the Phils Radio Network Pregame Show prior to Game 1. “Every once in a while, you’ll have some pitchers that are extremely resilient, but I think you’re asking for trouble when you start to do that. And even if they don’t get hurt, sometimes I worry about how effective they’re going to be that second time, because it’s not something they’re used to doing.“But because of where we are, and most relievers have one appearance, maybe two, I think it’s way too early to ask a guy to do both.” In Game 1, the Phils had a comfortable eight-run lead, thanks to the offense having a breakout game — highlighted by home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper. After Wheeler threw 87 pitches through six innings, Girardi replaced him with Austin Davis for the seventh and final frame. Davis allowed four runs on four hits while recording one out. Trevor Kelley came in for Davis, and allowed two one while also recording only one out.The tying run was on deck for the Yankees, who are arguably the best team in the sport. Girardi says it wasn’t his plan to use Neris.“It’s not what I wanted to do, but I just felt it was the right move, and when you got a chance to win the game, you better win the game,” he said.Girardi acknowledged he would have used Neris in the second game if he wasn’t called on to close out the first. The thing is, Neris only threw one pitch to get the final out in the 11-7 victory. However, Girardi’s comment on the pregame show indicated he’s not a fan of pitchers being used in both games of a doubleheader ... which evidently includes throwing only one pitch after leaving the pen. In fairness, this shortened season — which included a brief shutdown after its commencement — is very delicate. Girardi admitted he has to try to win while making sure his players avoid injury. That philosophy also applied to taking Nola out after 88 pitches. Girardi said the layoff for Nola prior to Wednesday and stressful inning factored into removing him prior to the seventh. “I have a responsibility to the organization to win — and our fans — but I also have a responsibility of the health of our players. And probably even more important, I have a responsibility to the players that I don’t allow them to hurt themselves because they’re trying to be heroes, because this is their career and it’s how they’re going to make their living. So, a lot of times I have to protect players from themselves, and I take that very seriously.”

August 06, 2020

Eagles’ Fletcher Cox says he’s confident ahead of an unpredictable season

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The questions will inevitably linger for the next several weeks: With the number of coronavirus cases rising, and baseball dealing with its own set of infections, how will the NFL stay safe? How many more players will opt out before the season starts? Will the season start on time — will there even be a season? Eagles defensive linemen Fletcher Cox is confident he and his teammates will be on the field in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, where they’ll kick off the 2020 campaign.“I feel realty good about the season,” said Cox. “I think there will be a season. There will be ups and downs and … there will be some things we have to adapt to.”Cox said Eagles players are still adapting to wearing face masks — they receive them when they arrive for their workouts, and keep them on for much of the day. It is just one of the many changes put in place at the NovaCare Complex. Cox credits owner Jeffrey Lurie and the rest of the front office for doing everything they can to keep the players and the staff safe.“This building right here is probably safer than any other place probably in the city,” Cox said. “Mr. Lurie and this organization did a really good job making sure that the players are safe, and I feel really safe here.”Head coach Doug Pederson echoed those same sentiments at the start of training camp — but he tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. It was another reminder to the players about the importance of following the guidelines, as to keep the virus from spreading throughout the team and everyone else working at the practice facility.“We just have to be able to adapt as a team,” Cox continued. “We know a lot of stuff’s going to happen during the season. We just have to adapt to it, and Doug is the leader that we all know. He’s doing a really good job.”As for all of the safety precautions, only time will tell. So far, baseball is having serious issues, but basketball and hockey have been running smoothly, as both sports are playing in “bubble” conditions in select cities. For now, it is a one-day-at-a-time scenario for Cox and his teammates, with the hope that football gets underway this fall — so they can give Americans a small emotional lift as the pandemic rages on.“It’s just things that we need to do to adapt and know that there will be changes here and there, but we can’t let that distract us from our main goal,” Cox said, “and that’s starting the season and finishing.”

August 05, 2020

COVID-19 cases in Philly seem to be declining, but officials are unsure why

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Coronavirus cases in Philadelphia and across the region seem to be on the decline, but the reason for that is still unclear. COVID-19 cases in Philly seem to be declining, but officials are unsure why Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said a week ago, the coronavirus case rates were rising and were expected to continue in that direction."But instead since then, they fell, and I don't know if that's a long-term trend or temporary, but any decrease is good news,” he said. For the past week that ended Saturday July 29, Philadelphia averaged 123 coronavirus cases per day."The city was down from 166 cases per day the week before, 141 cases per day the week before that,” he added. And he said the percent of people tested who had a positive outcome also decreased, averaging at 4.7%, which he said was the lowest weekly percent positivity the city has seen. “We've been between 5% and 6% since the middle of June, so that's another good sign,” Farley said.COVID-19 in PhiladelphiaInfogramAs for coronavirus-related deaths, he said in the past week, Philadelphia averaged about seven deaths per week, or about one per day. "To put that in perspective, at the peak of the epidemic in mid-April, we were averaging 250 cases per week. We're down about 97% as far as the number of deaths per week,” he explained. Farley said numbers seem to be falling regionally and across the country as well, but case counts are still high, and there’s a chance this could all be temporary. Still, he said, “they're better than we were a week ago."However, the reason for that decline is unclear at this point."I can only say that maybe people are finally coming around to accept the idea that they need to wear masks and mask use has gotten high enough that it's really making a difference,” he said. He emphasized that this is no time to ditch the face masks, especially as case counts fall.From documented observation of mask use on subways and in retail stores, he said mask use in Philadelphia seems to be at about 70%, but they’d like to get the percentage of people wearing masks in public up to about 90%.

August 05, 2020

NJ COVID-19 numbers down as state may have recorded its youngest death

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy’s decision to put some restrictions back on in New Jersey as COVID-19 numbers went up might be having its desired effect — at least on one front. Officials also reported what could well be the state’s youngest fatality. NJ COVID-19 numbers down as state may have recorded its youngest death Citing family privacy concerns, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli didn’t provide a lot of details.“We are reporting the death of a 7-month-old baby who, after death, tested positive for COVID-19,” Persichelli told reporters. “However, we do not know the primary cause of this death at this point in time.”This death is not in the official toll, which now stands at just under 14,000 statewide, almost 1,700 of whom are from the seven South Jersey counties. South Jersey has reported almost 26,000 positive cases, part of the 183,327 cases across New Jersey since March 4. Meanwhile, there’s progress to report on bringing the number of new infections under better control.The Garden State’s rate of transmission jumped to just under 1.5 last weekend, prompting Murphy to lower indoor event capacity limits from 100 to 25. Now, the rate is down to 1.32.“This is still too high as it’s over one and it means that this virus continues to spread too quickly and too widely across our state,” he said. “We need to get this number back below one.”The number of new cases in New Jersey has also been trending lower over the last few days. Tuesday saw little over half the almost 700 reported Friday. Daily reports of new fatalities have been in the teens or lower.

August 05, 2020

How do the Sixers include live shots of fans at the games?

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Sixers went 29-2 at the Wells Fargo Center this season, and they definitely didn’t do it all by themselves. It helped to have the loyal and dedicated fan base that packed that place every game. Obviously, a little bit of that home-court advantage was lost when the season restarted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, where they play without spectators physically in one of the three venues.But — as you’ve probably already noticed watching the games — the NBA and its teams, like the Sixers, collaborated to involve fans virtually and make it seem like they’re actually there.If you look closely, you can see live camera feeds of hundreds of fans on huge LED screens behind the baskets and benches. The fans are in front of two-dimensional seats. .@BenSimmons25 pic.twitter.com/pXlTGQuL46— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 4, 2020 So, how in the world do the Sixers get their fans on those screens?“You actually have a specific link and a program you have to log into,” Sixers Chief Marketing Officer Katie O’Reilly explained. “You have to be there 30 minutes early, have your whole setup. So there’s a program — you’re basically sitting in front of your computer screen watching, and you have to have your camera on so that your face can appear.” Then, through a system powered by Microsoft, you’re kind of in Orlando watching the game.“You’re essentially seeing multiple screens,” she continued. “It’s like companion viewing. It’s almost like being on a work conference call. Microsoft has powered the entire thing through Microsoft Teams. So, it’s pretty cool. It’s amazing technology.” And, it doesn’t cost a thing for Sixers fans. Season ticket holders, marketing and community partners, employees, employees’ families, and players’ friends and family members are able to sign up to be a virtual fan.Most of the sections at Sixers “home” games, such as Monday night against the Spurs, will go to their fans. “Away” teams get a small portion of the two-dimensional seats. Eventually, O’Reilly said they’ll launch a virtual fan sweepstakes that will give the general public a chance to participate in this neat experience. “We’re all looking for ways to continue to keep our fans engaged,” she said. “So much of what we’re doing, of course, is for the fans, but it’s really trying to create that home environment.”The Sixers are also continuing their ceremonial pregame bell ringing at their “home” restart games at Disney, as well as other traditions, such as Ron Brooks singing the national anthem and other in-game sounds.So often when it comes to sports, fans will say they were lucky enough to be there. Sometimes, they’ll have tickets, programs, or some sort of 21st-century memento to help them remember the game or show that they attended.Now, if you’re lucky enough to “be there” virtually, you use your cellphone to take a photo of yourself when you pop up on TV. You’re part of history.

August 05, 2020