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‘I know they’re hurting’: High schools struggle to hold meaningful graduations | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, Pennsylvania’s nurses say hospitals are rationing face masks and tests

Washington Township senior Rachel Roda posed for a portrait outside of her home in Sewell, N.J. on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Roda is attending Rowan College of South Jersey to study Elementary Education after graduation.
Washington Township senior Rachel Roda posed for a portrait outside of her home in Sewell, N.J. on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Roda is attending Rowan College of South Jersey to study Elementary Education after graduation.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

TL;DR: High schools across the region are trying everything from car parades to socially distanced photos to help seniors commemorate their graduation days. And Pennsylvania’s largest nurses’ union has accused hospitals of misleading state officials about their access to safety equipment.

— Allison Steele (@AESteele, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

🛑 Gov. Tom Wolf will lift restrictions in 12 more Pennsylvania counties next week, moving them into the “yellow” phase of reopening. In Philadelphia, meanwhile, officials said the decline in new cases is accelerating.

♻️ Recycling pickup in Philadelphia will continue on a biweekly schedule through June 26.

💰 U.S. retail sales fell more than 16% from March to April as shutdowns kept shoppers away.

🔓 Protesters rallied in Harrisburg, demanding for a second time that non-essential businesses be allowed to reopen. See photos here.

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.

With traditional graduations scuttled by the coronavirus, high school administrators are getting creative in thinking about how to celebrate their seniors. Some are still giving diplomas on a stage — by appointment, with few guests allowed. Others have pledged to visit students one by one, diplomas in baggies. And a few are pushing back, asking those in power to reconsider bans on in-person gatherings.

Hospitals are sitting on stockpiles of masks and other safety equipment, the state’s largest nurses’ union wrote in a letter sent to the Department of Health, leaving health-care workers to risk their lives with inadequate supplies. The letter comes as hospitals are pushing to restart elective procedures and some lawmakers seek to speed up Pennsylvania’s reopening.

Helpful resources

  1. Need to go to the dentist during the pandemic? Here’s what you need to know.

  2. These state and federal programs are available to help with housing, medical care, and more.

  3. Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.

  4. Not sure what a medical term means? We have definitions for you.

  5. Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.

You got this: See how the pandemic changed Ramadan

This is not a Ramadan like the Ramadans in years past, when local Muslims said they are used to gathering with relatives and sharing impressive communal feasts to break the fast at sunset. But some families said it hasn’t been all bad, and that despite the pandemic this holy month is still an important time to reflect, give back, and enjoy time together.

🎂 How Philly is celebrating birthdays right now: On sidewalks, with drive-by greetings, and by eating as many delicious treats as possible.

💗 Local health-care students are helping COVID patients in isolation connect with their loved ones.

🚚 Philly’s food truck vendors are hoping city officials will let them hit the road soon — in parking lots.

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. This week’s FiveThirtyEight podcast asks, how close are we to herd immunity?

  2. The pandemic has worsened longstanding sexist and racist inequalities in science, according to the Times Higher Education.

  3. To prevent COVID-19 from widening the achievement gap for children, parents must be better-equipped to help their kids with distance learning, writes the Philadelphia Citizen.

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