Updated 10:25 a.m.Volunteers with the University of Pennsylvania have begun the laborious process of calling anyone who’s been in contact with someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19. The practice, known as contact tracing, is considered key to reopening society, but is largely regarded as having its greatest impact when there are fewer cases to track.Contact tracing takes a lot of time and a lot of labor. When a COVID-19 case is confirmed, a tracer reaches out to the patient to find out who he or she has been in contact with in the days leading up to the diagnosis.“It’s a little spooky,”...…Updated 10:25 a.m.Volunteers with the University of Pennsylvania have begun the laborious process of calling anyone who’s been in contact with someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19. The practice, known as contact tracing, is considered key to reopening society, but is largely regarded as having its greatest impact when there are fewer cases to track.Contact tracing takes a lot of time and a lot of labor. When a COVID-19 case is confirmed, a tracer reaches out to the patient to find out who he or she has been in contact with in the days leading up to the diagnosis.“It’s a little spooky,”...WW…

💌 Love Philly? Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. At Temple University’s Liacouras Center, most of the 200 hospital beds sat empty for the facility’s two weeks in operation. The surge of coronavirus patients never came. Philadelphia’s “COVID-19 Surge Facility” admitted just 14 patients since it opened to the public on April 16, Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration confirmed Monday. That’s about a quarter of the 58 referrals the city received from hospitals looking to free up precious bed space and transfer patients to the city-run site. Last week, as...…💌 Love Philly? Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. At Temple University’s Liacouras Center, most of the 200 hospital beds sat empty for the facility’s two weeks in operation. The surge of coronavirus patients never came. Philadelphia’s “COVID-19 Surge Facility” admitted just 14 patients since it opened to the public on April 16, Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration confirmed Monday. That’s about a quarter of the 58 referrals the city received from hospitals looking to free up precious bed space and transfer patients to the city-run site. Last week, as...WW…

Open? Closed? Safe? Scary? Mixed Messages On Coronavirus Confuse : Shots - Health News Public officials continue to send mixed messages about the pandemic: We're open for business, but also, stay home if you can. Without clear guidance, people feel confused or stop trying to be safe.FromToggle more optionsWhen Marquita Burnett heard Philadelphia was moving to the "green" phase of reopening, she was confused. First of all, she was pretty sure the city had already earned the green label from Pennsylvania's governor (it had). The next thing she knew, the city was scaling back on plans it had...…Open? Closed? Safe? Scary? Mixed Messages On Coronavirus Confuse : Shots - Health News Public officials continue to send mixed messages about the pandemic: We're open for business, but also, stay home if you can. Without clear guidance, people feel confused or stop trying to be safe.FromToggle more optionsWhen Marquita Burnett heard Philadelphia was moving to the "green" phase of reopening, she was confused. First of all, she was pretty sure the city had already earned the green label from Pennsylvania's governor (it had). The next thing she knew, the city was scaling back on plans it had...WW…

💌 Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. Update, July 28: After this article was published, condemnations of Muhammad’s actions came swiftly from several local elected officials, faith leaders and members of the Black community. Kenneth L. Huston, state NAACP conference president, denounced the post, before taking any action.  Muhammad initially did not apologize for sharing the meme. Via a statement late Monday, he acknowledged that the cartoon and wording had been used previously by white supremacists, and said it was never his intention to...…💌 Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. Update, July 28: After this article was published, condemnations of Muhammad’s actions came swiftly from several local elected officials, faith leaders and members of the Black community. Kenneth L. Huston, state NAACP conference president, denounced the post, before taking any action.  Muhammad initially did not apologize for sharing the meme. Via a statement late Monday, he acknowledged that the cartoon and wording had been used previously by white supremacists, and said it was never his intention to...WW…

Philadelphia's Imbalanced Vaccination Rates Fueled By Lack Of Access Vaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half those of their white and Asian counterparts. It appears lack of access is more to blame than hesitancy to get vaccinated.Heard onToggle more optionsVaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half those of their white and Asian counterparts. It appears lack of access is more to blame than hesitancy to get vaccinated.ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:Vaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half what they are for whites....…Philadelphia's Imbalanced Vaccination Rates Fueled By Lack Of Access Vaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half those of their white and Asian counterparts. It appears lack of access is more to blame than hesitancy to get vaccinated.Heard onToggle more optionsVaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half those of their white and Asian counterparts. It appears lack of access is more to blame than hesitancy to get vaccinated.ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:Vaccination rates for Black and Latino people in Philadelphia are half what they are for whites....WW…

💌 Love Philly? Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. The pace of vaccine distribution in Philadelphia appears on track to decline for the second week in a row, even as health officials say they want to boost vaccinations by nearly 50% over the next month. When the FEMA-run clinic opened at the Pa. Convention Center at the beginning of March, inoculations in Philly nearly doubled. Ramped up vaccinations at area hospitals and more pharmacies joining as vaccine providers helped the city hit a new high. Philadelphia administered a record 107,000 first and...…💌 Love Philly? Sign up for to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. The pace of vaccine distribution in Philadelphia appears on track to decline for the second week in a row, even as health officials say they want to boost vaccinations by nearly 50% over the next month. When the FEMA-run clinic opened at the Pa. Convention Center at the beginning of March, inoculations in Philly nearly doubled. Ramped up vaccinations at area hospitals and more pharmacies joining as vaccine providers helped the city hit a new high. Philadelphia administered a record 107,000 first and...WW…

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is canceling what could be as many as 30,000 appointments for first doses at the FEMA site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  The appointments were made as the result of an erroneously shared link, according to the department.The problem arose after a QR code intended for people at the Convention Center to make their second-dose appointments was shared widely, allowing others to make appointments for first doses.Because the FEMA site at the Convention Center is no longer scheduling first-dose appointments and these were made in error,...…The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is canceling what could be as many as 30,000 appointments for first doses at the FEMA site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  The appointments were made as the result of an erroneously shared link, according to the department.The problem arose after a QR code intended for people at the Convention Center to make their second-dose appointments was shared widely, allowing others to make appointments for first doses.Because the FEMA site at the Convention Center is no longer scheduling first-dose appointments and these were made in error,...WW…

A new FEMA mass vaccination site could be coming to North Philadelphia in the heart of one of the city’s Latino strongholds, local and federal officials confirmed to WHYY News and Billy Penn.According to community leaders, the vaccine clinic would take up a 400,000-square-foot facility on the sprawling campus of social services group Esperanza in the Hunting Park neighborhood. It would be set up to deliver 3,000 shots per day, seven days a week, in one of the most undervaccinated areas of the city.FEMA said no plans have been solidified, but the agency acknowledged talks to open a second...…A new FEMA mass vaccination site could be coming to North Philadelphia in the heart of one of the city’s Latino strongholds, local and federal officials confirmed to WHYY News and Billy Penn.According to community leaders, the vaccine clinic would take up a 400,000-square-foot facility on the sprawling campus of social services group Esperanza in the Hunting Park neighborhood. It would be set up to deliver 3,000 shots per day, seven days a week, in one of the most undervaccinated areas of the city.FEMA said no plans have been solidified, but the agency acknowledged talks to open a second...WW…

A city investigation into the Philly Fighting COVID scandal found the Philadelphia Department of Public Health ignored serious red flags when it provided vaccines to a 9-month-old startup with limited health care experience.Despite that, the report from the Office of Inspector General does not sanction the department in any way.Inspector General Alexander DeSantis wrote that the department had substantial evidence pointing to PFC’s deficiencies, and concluded health officials placed the city “at great risk” by setting that information aside — even in the interest of expediently vaccinating...…A city investigation into the Philly Fighting COVID scandal found the Philadelphia Department of Public Health ignored serious red flags when it provided vaccines to a 9-month-old startup with limited health care experience.Despite that, the report from the Office of Inspector General does not sanction the department in any way.Inspector General Alexander DeSantis wrote that the department had substantial evidence pointing to PFC’s deficiencies, and concluded health officials placed the city “at great risk” by setting that information aside — even in the interest of expediently vaccinating...WW…

Coronavirus Pandemic Disrupts Opioid Addiction Treatments In Philadelphia : Shots - Health News Relaxed regulations in response to the pandemic means more access to addiction treatment medications. But recovery programs are accepting fewer people, and the danger of overdose remains high.FromToggle more optionsBefore Philadelphia shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Ed had a routine: most mornings he would head to a nearby McDonald's to brush his teeth, wash his face and — when he had the money — buy a cup of coffee. He would bounce between homeless shelters and try to get a...…Coronavirus Pandemic Disrupts Opioid Addiction Treatments In Philadelphia : Shots - Health News Relaxed regulations in response to the pandemic means more access to addiction treatment medications. But recovery programs are accepting fewer people, and the danger of overdose remains high.FromToggle more optionsBefore Philadelphia shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Ed had a routine: most mornings he would head to a nearby McDonald's to brush his teeth, wash his face and — when he had the money — buy a cup of coffee. He would bounce between homeless shelters and try to get a...WW…