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LATEST PHILADELPHIA CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Pa. Supreme Court grants Dems’ request to extend mail-in ballot deadline

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In a ruling that will greatly impact when Pennsylvania’s vote count is finalized this November, the state Supreme Court has granted the Democratic Party’s request to extend the deadline for postmarked mail-in ballots.The high court, which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, agreed to extend the deadline until three days after Election Day.Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. of Election Day, Nov. 3. They’ll be counted as long as they arrive by Nov. 6.The Pennsylvania Supreme Court also authorized the use of satellite election offices and drop-off boxes, which Philadelphia and the heavily populated suburbs are planning to use to help relieve the pressure from an avalanche of mailed-in ballots expected in the Nov. 3 presidential election.Gov. Tom Wolf said his office is reviewing the decision, but overall, he welcomes it.“It really makes the access to voting better,” he added.The election-related lawsuit filed by Dems sought favorable fixes to glitches and gray areas in the battleground state's fledgling mail-in voting law, following issues will mail-in voting during the primary election.The lawsuit requested that if there are any errors on a ballot, the voter must be contacted to correct it. However, the high court said that’s an issue for the state Legislature, not the judiciary.It says the law is clear: If someone fails to use the so-called secrecy envelope — the envelope the ballot is returned in — that ballot can be tossed and not counted.The ruling also determined that a state law requiring poll watchers to only serve in the counties they live in is in fact constitutional.In a statement, Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided that “laws have no meaning.”“The current state election statute, which was signed by Governor Wolf less than a year ago, is clear that mail-in ballots must be received by 8:00 PM on Election Day in order to be counted,” his statement read. “Today’s blatantly political decision to violate the law irresponsibly heightens the risk that our state will experience a lengthy, disputed, and controversial outcome in what is expected to be an extremely close presidential race.”___The Associated Press contributed to this report.

September 17, 2020

Bittersweet Census news for Philly: Higher incomes, lower poverty before COVID-19 hit

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New U.S. Census figures released Thursday show the city was improving incomes and reducing poverty last year — before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. City officials doubt those trends will hold through this year.On one hand, the mayor’s policy director, Maari Porter, says the news is good."The current poverty rate in Philadelphia is down to 23.3% from 24.5%, so that’s the lowest rate we’ve seen since before the Great Recession," Porter said.On the other hand, the progress may already be undone."It’s painful to see the reality the pandemic has had on our population," she said.Porter says incomes were rising too. She says federal help is needed to keep the trend from reversing. She cites a study showing that the federal CARES Act held down the increase in national poverty and that another round of aid would be necessary to keep it from spiking."We’re pleased to see our strategies as a city to reduce poverty during the first term were working for Philadelphians, but we also know the reality is that the coronavirus has put the most vulnerable Philadelphians and people of color at greater risk."Porter says the administration now is focused on stabilizing those vulnerable groups with food distribution, small-business grants, a worker relief fund, a nonprofit fund and rent subsidies. In fact, the city has doubled the amount of the rent subsidy. It will now cover $1,500 a month through the end of the year.COVID-19 in PhiladelphiaInfogram

September 17, 2020

COVID-19 numbers in Delaware trending in the wrong direction

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — COVID-19 numbers are up across the board in Delaware. Officials think they know why, and they’re trying to figure out how to fix this. COVID-19 numbers in Delaware trending in the wrong direction “We really need to do a better job,” said Gov. John Carney at the state’s latest coronavirus briefing. The state's coronavirus numbers are higher than they've been in months, with the percentage of positive rates now over 7%. The state had it down to 4% previously. Under Carney’s rules, the percent positive rate needs to be below 3% in order for kids to be allowed to return to the classroom. Most schools are doing remote learning right now. College students are shouldering much of the blame for this uptick in numbers. “It’s a lot of folks that are in our colleges and universities that need to be more attentive to following the rules and protecting one another, quite frankly,” said Carney. “Mostly, it’s off campus social activities, partying.”Officials in Delaware have had their eyes on the college crowd for weeks; it was when they began returning to campuses in the state when the numbers began trending upward. Carney said officials have been meeting with law enforcement statewide to come up with a solution to this problem. Officers have been handing out citations, but he doesn’t think that will do the trick. “The students care more about university sanctions, which end up in their parents' hands,” he explained, “as opposed to a citation from the city of Newark that their parent never sees. So we need to think through that.”Carney didn’t rule out the possibility of sending college students home from school if they’re acting irresponsible, which he’s seen work at other schools. “It’s that kind of messaging in order to get the message across, that it’s not just about you and your party and your 20 friends or 30 or 40 friends,” he said. “It’s about the community and getting children back in schools by pushing those numbers down.”Another reason for the recent spike, according to Carney, is not enough people have been getting tested lately. But officials hope that has been solved by increasing access to free testing as of this week. Total coronavirus cases in Delaware since the pandemic began are just under 20,000. They’ve been going up gradually lately, with the majority of positive cases in New Castle County.

September 16, 2020

Murphy criticizes YouTubers who attracted huge crowd in Seaside Heights

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy is publicly castigating a group of YouTube personalities for a prank that drew a huge crowd of unmasked people to Seaside Heights. Murphy criticizes YouTubers who attracted huge crowd in Seaside Heights The trio called the Nelk Boys drew hundreds of mostly unmasked young people to the house made famous by MTV’s “Jersey Shore.” It was a situation in a pandemic that Murphy blasted.“On Monday night we saw perhaps our most extreme — which is saying something, by the way — and egregious display of knucklehead behavior in Seaside Heights set off by a group of YouTube pranksters who succeeded in getting the notoriety they wanted but obviously don’t deserve,” Murphy said. “These so-called influencers need to be taken to task.”He said the state was the “latest stop on their tour of willful negligence for public health.”Eight people in the crowd were arrested, mostly for disorderly conduct. “It was irresponsible from top to bottom in every respect,” the governor said.Murphy said just because young people believe they’re invincible doesn’t mean they actually are.“I urge anyone — this is important — anyone who was in that crowd to go get tested. That kind of gathering is how coronavirus spreads most easily,” he added. The state health commissioner said the virus is spreading most rapidly among young people aged 14 to 24.

September 16, 2020

Pa. Republican lawmakers push Wolf to sign bill giving districts final say on school sports

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Republican state lawmakers are urging Gov. Tom Wolf to sign a bill that would give school districts the final say on holding athletic events amid the coronavirus pandemic — including how many people could attend. The bill passed the state House and Senate with bipartisan support, 155-47 and 39-11, respectively. It was sent to the governor’s desk on Sept. 11.Wolf previously said he would veto the bill, and his office says there’s no change in those plans — but there’s also no timeline for when he will announce a final decision.“Governor, you’ve said in press conferences you want to work with the Legislature — here’s a golden opportunity,” said House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff. “Working together — as House Republicans and Democrats and the Senate Republicans and Democrats did in a very bipartisan manner — would be a great opportunity to show our public we’re getting back to that normalcy.”Republican state Rep. Jesse Topper said it’s time to find a way to say why we can safely do things, rather than why we can’t.“And that’s why you saw the large bipartisan majorities in both chambers who speak for the people of Pennsylvania, who say this is the route we want to go,” he said.Opponents of the bill note schools already have the final say on sporting events, but the limits on gathering sizes are important for public safety.Republican state Rep. Mike Reese, the prime sponsor, said the bill would also address the governor’s limit of 250 people total at an outdoor competition, regardless of the size of a stadium.“It’s even harder to understand the 25-person limit for indoor gatherings being applied in gymnasiums that are in some cases larger than our big-box stores,” he added.Wolf didn’t directly address the bill, but he did address a federal court ruling that said limitations on the sizes of gatherings are unconstitutional. He said they are requesting a stay and plan to appeal.His office is also working with the state Department of Education to come up with a plan to offer guidance to school districts.If the bill sits for 10 days without any decision from the governor — in this case, by Sept. 21 — it becomes law without his signature.

September 16, 2020

Trump contradicts himself at Philly town hall to defend coronavirus response

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsrdaio) — Voters put President Donald Trump in the hot seat Tuesday evening at a town hall-style forum at the National Constitution Center, and he defended his response to the coronavirus pandemic.As protesters and supporters shouted outside, the president participated in the 90-minute ABC News broadcast, moderated by George Stephanopoulos.Uncommitted voters peppered the president with questions, many on the pandemic and his administration’s response. “If you believe it’s the president’s responsibility to protect America, why would you downplay a pandemic that is known to disproportionately harm low-income families and minority communities?” asked voter Ajani Powell, referring to the president’s recently released recorded comments from interviews with journalist Bob Woodward. “I didn’t downplay it. I actually — in many ways, I up-played it, in terms of action. My action was very strong,” the president responded. Powell tried to interject. “You did not admit to it yourself, saying that you—” But the president continued. “What I did with China, I put a ban on. With Europe, I put a ban on. And we would have lost thousands of more people had I not put the ban on," Trump said.He was referring to the travel bans put in place when the pandemic hit the U.S.“I thought you were doing a good job with the pandemic response until about May 1. Then you took your foot off the gas petal. Why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus?” asked another voter. “Well, we really didn’t, Paul,” the president responded. “We’ve worked very hard on the pandemic. We worked very hard. It came off from China. They should have never let it happen. And if you look at what we’ve done with ventilators, and now, frankly, with vaccines, we’re very close to having a vaccine.”And he repeated a line he often uses, that the virus would disappear — even without a vaccine — "over a period of time." He was asked by one voter why he didn’t support a mask mandate and why he doesn’t wear one more often. He replied that he wears one “when I have to” and he blamed Democrats for the lack of a mandate, which he does not support to begin with.Asked by Stephanopoulos if there was anything else he could have done to stop the virus, the president said, "I don't think so. I think what I did, by closing up the country, I think I saved two — maybe two and a half — maybe more than that — (million) lives. I really don't think so. I think we did a very good job."So far, there have been 196,000 deaths in the U.S. from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University — which is 20% of the COVID-19 deaths in the world. The U.S. comprised only 4% of the global population.The president actually said he knew six people who died from the virus.“I learned that life is very fragile. I knew people. They were powerful people, strong people, good people - and they got knocked out by this,” he said.Trump also answered questions about racial injustice, his push for law and order, the need to weed out “bad apples” among police, and the economy. He denied reporters that he called U.S. troops who have died "suckers" and "losers."And Trump was very critical of Democratic-run big cities, tying them to Joe Biden. The former vice president will have a televised town hall of his own. It will be broadcast on CNN and will take place in his hometown of Scranton on Thursday.Outside, it was all hands on deck, as protesters and Trump supporters converged on Independence Mall. With their signs and swag, a few people protesting President Trump’s visit quietly sat in front of the NCC along Arch Street."He seems not to care about people of color in this country or immigrants," said Andrew, a protester from Old City."The mishandling of a pandemic, which has killed over 200,000 people," said Jessica, a protester from South Philly.Just a block away on Market Street, more than 100 protesters chanted "Dump Trump," countering about two-dozen Trump supporters yelling “Four more years!"Police officers, some of whom were called in on their days off, were assigned to block city streets around Old City, and to keep the two sides from clashing - which Mayor Jim Kenney says the city will pay for."It costs us a lot of money, and we are not reimbursed for it," Kenney said.In total, Trump was in Philly for about 2 1/2 hours, and the protests remained peaceful.___KYW Newsradio's Kristen Johanson contributed to this report.

September 16, 2020

New COVID-19 cases in Philly are lowest since March due to increased mask use

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia health officials say new COVID-19 infections fell to an average of 67 a day, as of last week — the lowest number since the first week of the pandemic in March. Deaths have also fallen to about one a day. Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley credits this progress to more people complying with mask orders.“I believe a lot of the progress we’ve made in this epidemic is because people are wearing masks,” he said, “so if you’ve been wearing a mask at all, thank you.”A new study, however, suggests Philadelphians could be doing much better with that. The Philadelphia Study of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD), led by academic and private researchers, observed more than 4,600 people in public outdoor spaces over the last three weeks of August, including commercial streets, parks and playgrounds. It found less than half — approximately 43% — were wearing masks, and even fewer were wearing them correctly. The SOMAD research is similar to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s own surveys on mask use, though the study is based more on demographics. “Younger people were less likely to wear masks than older people, and men were less likely to wear masks than women,” Farley said. “They found differences by neighborhood across the city, and they found differences by ethnicity of the person they observed.”According to the SOMAD study, men wore masks less than women, and seniors were more likely to wear them compared to all other age groups.Only 23% of people in parks who were engaged in vigorous activity, like biking or running, were wearing masks.On the matter of proper mask use, the city is launching a new facet of its mask campaign focusing on using the right kind of masks — bandanas, masks with valves, and pulled-up T-shirts no longer cut it. The correct fit is important too — over the nose and mouth.“Don’t pull your mask down to talk to the person next to you. When you’re talking to the person next to you is when you’re most putting out water droplets,” Farley explained. “That’s the most important time to have a mask on.” COVID-19 in PhiladelphiaInfogram

September 15, 2020

Valley Forge Park sees big uptick in crowds since reopening

VALLEY FORGE (KYW Newsradio) — Valley Forge National Historic Park is seeing near-record public use since reopening a few months ago after a period of shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.Pat Madden, Valley Forge’s acting superintendent, said the 3,500-acre federal park generally attracts more than 2 million visitors a year.But since June, he said, they’ve seen a 20% increase in the number of visitors. And most of them, Madden said, are there to use the trails for walking, hiking and cycling.Madden said parking lots are filling up fast on weekends, and he’s advising those who have flexibility in their schedules to consider a weekday trip.“If they want to avoid crowds on a weekend day, early morning works best,” Madden said. “And by early morning, they should be out at the park by 9 a.m.”Because the visitors center is closed until at least February for reconstruction and placement of new exhibits, Madden said there is a way to connect online and via smart phone “to learn about both hiking opportunities and opportunities to learn the history of Valley Forge."He added, “We anticipate that construction will be complete in December 2020 with the final exhibit installation happening in February 2021."Meanwhile, he said the non-profit group that runs the Encampment store, located in a modular trailer just behind the visitors center, has just released a pandemic audio tour.“Visitors can download that tour to their phone and then go on a two-to-three-hour tour of the park and learn the history and the significance of the park in the American Revolutionary War,” Madden said.

September 15, 2020

Wolf administration to appeal ruling calling COVID-19 restrictions unconstitutional; says orders ‘saved lives’

UPDATED: 11:50 a.m.PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s office says it is going to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that his stay-at-home orders and limitations on the sizes of crowds — both measures enacted to limit the spread of the coronavirus — are unconstitutional. Republicans in the General Assembly have been applauding the decision, but Wolf fired back at them on Tuesday.“Yesterday, Harrisburg Republicans celebrated, while thousands upon thousands in our state continue to suffer, and even more worry about what this virus could bring to them and their families in the fall,” he said.On Monday, Judge William Stickman IV sided with four western Pennsylvania counties that argued the governor’s restrictions on the sizes of gatherings violate the First Amendment, and closing non-essential businesses, while requiring Pennsylvanians to stay home, violates the 14th Amendment.Wolf argued Pennsylvania’s quick action at the height of the pandemic prevented a strain on health systems, which other states in the region dealt with.The governor said the federal government had “dithered.” In hindsight, he said there are some things he would have done differently, but not all.“What is not up for debate is the early and decisive action that (Health) Secretary (Rachel) Levine, my administration, and I took early on in this pandemic saved lives,” he added. “The vast majority simply don’t buy into the conspiracy theories or fear-mongering from the president or from the Harrisburg Republicans about this virus.”The judge noted the restrictions were initially designed to flatten the curve and protect the health care system — but since then, they’ve become open-ended and ongoing.And, he said, while the measures were put in place with good intentions, that wasn’t enough. He added, “The liberties protected by the Constitution are not fair-weather freedoms — in place when times are good, but able to be cast aside in times of trouble.”Republican state Sen. Tom Killion from Chester and Delaware counties is hopeful that this ruling will encourage the governor to work with the state Legislature going forward.“You can’t have one person making decisions when we don’t even know how they’re being made, what the facts are, what the metrics are,” said Killion. “It’s just: ‘This is what we’re doing, and this is how it’s going to be.’ ”Killion has been saying for months that the governor’s waiver system for certain businesses was applied unfairly, and he has questioned why big chains like Lowe’s and Home Depot could open, while independently owned shops were forced to close.“It’s important we work together to make sure we can operate safely, follow CDC guidelines, and get some of these businesses open and get these folks back to work,” he added.Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman echoed Killion, noting the judge’s ruling validates their claims of Wolf’s go-it-alone approach. He hopes the governor will come to the table to work with the General Assembly on “real solutions.”A spokesperson from the governor’s office said the administration is disappointed in the ruling, and they’ll seek a stay, meaning the ruling would not immediately go into effect. Wolf emphasized that the judge’s ruling is narrow and only applies to the March orders. It does not affect the state’s ongoing mask mandate, nor does it change the July order that put significant restrictions on bars and restaurants. The ruling could, however, impact his 250-person cap on outdoor gatherings and 25 for indoors.Philadelphia officials say this ruling does not affect guidelines in the city.

September 15, 2020

NJ prepares for potential ‘twin-demic’ with flu and COVID-19 cases

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said the state is preparing for a double-punch this fall: the flu and the second wave of the coronavirus.“This year, we are preparing for the possibility of a ‘twin-demic’ — a severe flu season and a resurgence of COVID-19, which could strain health care resources,” she said Monday. “What we don’t want to see is a really bad flu season with a resurgence of COVID. It would stress our systems terribly. But I do have to tell you, that we’re planning for it.”Flu cases were down in the Southern Hemisphere this year, Persichilli noted, presumably because of COVID-19 precautions. A flu shot won’t protect people from COVID-19, but it can help limit the number of people who need to be hospitalized. At his regular coronavirus briefing, Gov. Phil Murphy said he’s not surprised that several schools holding in-person classes — including Washington Township High in Gloucester County — had to revert to remote learning after positive COVID-19 tests appeared.“We have said, this is not going to be a normal school year and there will be COVID-positive cases,” Murphy said. “That’s almost inevitable.”Ed Lifshitz, director of the New Jersey Health Department’s Communicable Disease Service, said the state is unaware of any cases in which COVID-19 was transmitted inside schools. Rowan University has reported a total of 190 COVID-19 cases on and off campus. Lifshitz said there was no single gathering that they could trace the cases back to, but Rowan is working with the local health department to get the word out about the dangers of socializing in large groups.

September 14, 2020

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