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Coronavirus cases continue to rise in Pa., N.J.; How medical students are joining the fight | Morning Newsletter

And several Italian Market merchants are joining forces against the coronavirus.

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has a testing site for people have been exposed to COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms on Thursday, April 2, 2020.
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has a testing site for people have been exposed to COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms on Thursday, April 2, 2020.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

There are now more than one million people who have tested positive for the coronavirus worldwide. In our region, we’re continuing to see numbers climb — prompting officials to prepare hospitals, some already at capacity, for even more. This reality has inspired medical students in the Philly area to help in any way they can, from graduating early to making protective gear by hand. And in an effort to rehabilitate their business, several merchants in Philly’s beloved Italian Market are coming together to make an offer to customers.

— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

More than one million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. And the numbers keep climbing in our region.

Pennsylvania announced more than 1,200 new cases on Thursday, and several New Jersey hospitals reached capacity as Gov. Phil Murphy announced 182 more deaths. And Pennsylvania officials claim the rise in numbers is “not just [because] of more testing.”

In both states, an emphasis is being placed on hospitals’ ability to handle a surge in patients. In New Jersey, Murphy has signaled that relief is on the way for overwhelmed hospitals. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, officials are urging people to stay home. They say the health-care system has the capacity to treat people. And they want to keep it that way.

The Italian Market, a staple of Philadelphia’s culinary scene, has been hit by the coronavirus closures like many local business districts. Now, the merchants there are joining forces.

Fifteen Italian Market businesses, including Di Bruno’s, Anthony’s Chocolate House, and Cappuccio’s Meats, are working with Philly-based Habitat Logistics to offer free delivery through Easter.

Meanwhile, my colleague Michael Klein is keeping track of Philly-area restaurants that are still open for pickup and delivery.

This week, local medical students at Thomas Jefferson University assembled thousands of face shields. Another group of students raised money for protective gear for hospitals and paramedics.

As the coronavirus has spread, most medical students in our region and across the country were pulled off of their clinical rotations. But it didn’t stop them from joining the fight. “We felt pretty helpless sitting at home," said Gabrielle Yankelevich, a third-year medical student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “We all just wanted to help.”

Medical schools like Rutgers’ are sending their graduates off early so they can start residences if hospitals need them as cases mount. As one graduate who is headed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania put it, the opportunity to help combat coronavirus is something "we’ve all been pining for.”

News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. My colleagues are devoted to telling the stories of its impact on our region’s health, families, work, economy, and so much more. Now, we want you to play a role in our reporting. We hope to hear from as many people as possible.

What you need to know today

  1. Despite Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order, officials have approved moving children in the juvenile-justice system across Pennsylvania — a decision that has sparked outrage from lawmakers in areas that have not yet been hit hard by the coronavirus.

  2. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, Democrats have decided to postpone their July national convention.

  3. The coronavirus has caused pregnant women in New York City to flee to Philadelphia, but many are struggling to find prenatal care.

  4. Thousands of donated Chromebooks will soon be in the hands of Philly charter and parochial students to support learning during coronavirus school closures.

  5. Meanwhile, economic concerns tied to the pandemic have led to layoffs for some staff at Catholic elementary schools in Philly.

  6. As the coronavirus rages through Philadelphia, thousands of low-wage workers who were laid off are now facing life without their health-care benefits.

  7. And while some Americans will start receiving checks from the coronavirus stimulus bill in mid-April, a memo from House Democrats obtained by The Inquirer indicates that others could be waiting until September.

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

I’m just going to let this picture speak for itself. Thanks, @stilesgotstyle 🙏🏾.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s interesting

  1. 🏡 Phillies star Bryce Harper and his family consider two cities to be home. The Harpers have made a donation to both for coronavirus relief.

  2. ✉️ When hundreds of Philadelphians partied in a vacant lot last year in Fairmount, it was an anonymous letter that brought them together. Even with the coronavirus keeping us apart, a new letter is now circulating.

  3. 🤔 The Union League’s employee relief fund features an important difference compared with some of the impromptu ones you might see on social media. And it might just be a model for others.

  4. 🐯 At the Philadelphia Zoo and other places that house animals, caretakers’ duties have changed quite a bit during the coronavirus era.

  5. 🥖 The pandemic will also change the way two popular Philly restaurants do business as they reopen after weeks of being closed.

  6. ⚾️ My colleague Phil Anastasia’s least-favorite high school sport to cover is on hiatus because of the coronavirus. Now, he can’t help but wish he was out there watching those games and telling those stories again.

Opinions

“The coronavirus has the possibility of becoming a death penalty for the 95,000 people behind bars in Pennsylvania. ... As the rest of society scrambles to alter life and maintain social distance, the state’s and counties’ departments of corrections must manage the safety of a population that can do little of either.”The Inquirer Editorial Board writes that it’s time for state officials to address the coronavirus in Pennsylvania jails and prisons.

  1. Some argue that there is a tradeoff between saving the economy and saving lives due to the coronavirus. Opinion writer Abraham Gutman caught up with a professor of finance at MIT to discuss a study that shows why that may not be the case.

  2. Columnist Will Bunch examines President Donald Trump’s military rhetoric when speaking about the coronavirus and argues that America needs expertise and empathy, not a war.

What we’re reading

  1. Billy Penn has compiled a list of basketball courts in Philly that have been rendered unplayable because people wouldn’t stop holding games despite calls for social distancing.

  2. Speaking of hoops, the New York Times shares the story of Denise Rife, who became the first woman drafted into the NBA in 1969. The basketball legend has avoided the coronavirus, but not its frustrations.

  3. And you’ve probably been unable to avoid virtual meetings if you’ve been working from home. The Ringer breaks down the eight types of people we turn into on Zoom.

Your Daily Dose of | Lizzo

Grammy-award winning singer Lizzo sent something personal to health professionals and workers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to show her gratitude for their battle against the coronavirus. She called it the least she could do.