Monday, Pennsylvania's Department of Education added 450 new COVID-19 cases to the state's total. That brings the state's overall count to 90,304. Only one new death related to coronavirus complications was reported Monday. That number now stands at 6754.
Gov. Tom Wolf is trying to make his case about the importance of wearing masks in public. The governor cites two studies that show a possible large reduction in coronavirus infection risk, especially when combined with social distancing. Wolf says study after study indicates the effectiveness of mask-wearing to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep the curve of cases flattened.
Gov. Tom Wolf says you can count Pennsylvania's day cares in with the businesses hit really hard by the coronavirus pandemic. "Back in March a lot of child care facilities all across the commonwealth, across the country and probably around the world closed. And those that remained open lost many of their clients because parents were no longer going to work," the governor says. That's why Wolf has decided to spend $53 million in federal government dollars to help childcare providers bridge the gap until their children return. This brings the total invested into Pennsylvania's childcare industry to $220 million since the pandemic began.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has temporarily paused the reopening schedule for the state because COVID-19 cases have begun to rise again for the first time in ten weeks. Murphy did not say he would roll back any of the reopening stages to this point, but that he is not going to proceed with other reopening steps right now. This would refer to such steps as reopening indoor dining, movie theaters and gyms. Murphy says he'll restart the reopening process once the state's transmission and daily positivity rates go down.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is considering ordering a statewide mandate for face masks for outdoor public places to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The governor made his comment after New Jersey's transmission rate increased to the point where every new case leads to at least one more case. New Jersey is currently under a face mask order for indoor public places.
In-person graduation ceremonies have officially resumed in New Jersey, along with youth summer camps and summer school, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The in-person graduation order allows for ceremonies of up to 500 people.
The man accused of following his ex-girlfriend in his car then shooting her in the shoulder with her child in the car in Allentown was taken into custody Monday. 24-year-old Osbel Polanco-Calderon allegedly started following his ex-girlfriend in her car Monday afternoon. The woman, who had her child in the car, tried to flee, but was stopped by traffic. That's when Polanco-Calderon allegedly fired a shot from his car into his ex-girlfriend's car, hitting her in the left shoulder. The woman drove away and returned home, where she called 911. Polanco was then involved in a crash at 19th and Highland streets, got out of his car and ran from the area before being arrested.
Firefighters made quick work of an overnight apartment building fire in Allentown. Fire broke out around midnight in the 700 block of North Seventh Street. Firefighters said there was a fire in an outside wall between two apartments, one of which was vacant and under construction. No one was hurt and officials have not said what may have started the fire.
A man is dead after a police-involved shooting in Monroe County Monday. State troopers went to a house in Smithfield Township shortly before 10 a.m. to conduct a welfare check on a man acting erratically. As troopers talked to the man about the incident, he began to act erratically, calling them names and claiming the property was booby trapped. Police say the man pulled away and went into a garage after troopers tried to detain him and refused to exit. When troopers approached the garage, the man appeared in the doorway and allegedly pointed a laser sighted handgun at them. Police say he wouldn't drop the weapon so they fired, hitting the man in the chest, and killing him. His identity has not been released.
Wegmans has permanently closed all of its Pub by Wegmans locations, including the one that opened at the Tilghman Street store in Allentown seven years ago. Wegmans had pubs in 11 other locations, but all of them closed this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. A company spokesperson says employees have been offered other positions at their stores.
Vice President Mike Pence is returning to Pennsylvania later this week. He'll be taking a bus tour Thursday beginning in Lancaster, before taking part in a roundtable in Malvern and speaking with the Fraternal Order of Police in Philadelphia later in the day.
Today, voters across New Jersey will decide primary races for president and Congress, primarily via mail-in ballots. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered that today's primary use mail-in ballots because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five drop boxes have been made available for voters to cast their ballots by mail in every county. Each box has been open 24 hours a day until 8 o'clock tonight, which is the deadline to vote.
Phillies ace Aaron Nola has arrived at the team's workouts at Citizens Bank Park. So why wasn't he there when training resumed last week? "I was exposed to another person who tested positive for the virus. They wanted me to follow the protocol to stay at home for seven days," Nola says. Nola stresses he hasn't tested positive and is looking forward to getting ready for the season.
The Phillies will open the shortened season at home against Miami on July 24th. The Phillies will play 40 games against National League East foes and the remaining 20 games against teams from the American League East.