Philadelphia

A Northwest Philadelphia resident has tested positive for the Omicron variant, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced Friday. 

Driving the news: The confirmed case of the new coronavirus variant involves a man in his 30s, the department said.

What they're saying: "It is not unexpected that we would see Omicron here in Philadelphia," city Health commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said in a statement Friday. 

Mayor Jim Kenney added, "I know that this news is especially discouraging as we enter the holiday season, but we can get through this together."

The big picture: Additional cases of the new variant have been confirmed in New York, Minnesota, California, Hawaii and Colorado this week. 

Omicron was first discovered in South Africa last month. It has since been detected all over the world, including in Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, among others. 

State of play: City health officials aren't planning any new COVID-19 restrictions at this time, Public Health Department spokesperson James Garrow told Axios Friday. 

Philadelphia has a nearly 5% COVID-19 positivity rate, as of Friday.

Between the lines: Bettigole said on Wednesday it's unknown how the Omicron variant will affect people who are vaccinated but she expects some decrease in vaccine efficacy. 

The current vaccines could be 80-85% effective or lower, she said. 

E. John Wherry, an immunologist at University of Pennsylvania, told Axios Omicron would likely lead to an increase of infections, even among those who are vaccinated, due to the high number of mutations.  

What you can do: Philadelphia's Public Health Department is warning residents to take precautions and wear masks.

The agency is continuing to urge that people get vaccinated or get a booster shot. Vaccination clinics are listed on the city's website.

Bettigole also said to limit indoor socializing to only vaccinated people and to just one or two households. 

Of note: Philadelphia district schools will operate normally on Monday, district spokesperson Monica Lewis told Axios. 

Safety measures remain in place throughout the district to prevent the spread of the virus, including a face mask mandate, district-provided hand sanitizer, and the use of social distancing where possible, Lewis said. 

"We encourage everyone to have safe practices in terms of keeping themselves and their families safe."

Omicron variant found in Philadelphia man

The confirmed case of the new coronavirus variant involves a man in his 30s, the department said.

A technician handles tubes containing swab samples for Covid-19. Photo: Ahmad Salem/Getty Images

A technician handles tubes containing swab samples for COVID-19. Photo: Ahmad Salem/Getty Images

A Northwest Philadelphia resident has tested positive for the Omicron variant, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced Friday. Driving the news: The confirmed case of the new coronavirus variant involves a man in his 30s, the department said.

COVID

Data: Ludwig Institute; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Unemployment in the Philadelphia metro area is hovering at about 5%, the lowest it's been since before the pandemic, according to latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

It's a major improvement from the 15% rate BLS reported in April of 2020, right after major coronavirus-driven shutdowns.

Yes, but: One analysis suggests unemployment in the metro is much higher — and that the "true" number of people who were jobless during the height of the pandemic was around 28.3%. 

How it works: The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity's analysis uses BLS figures and factors in those out of work as well as those who are employed but earning less than a living wage. 

The institute uses $20,000 as the liveable threshold, a conservative estimate. 

To compare, the government's individual poverty level threshold is $12,760.

By the numbers: Metro Philly's "true" unemployment increased by 5% between 2019 and 2020. 

Last year's "true" unemployment rate balloons to 54.3% when you add in 16 and 17 year-olds and people working part-time but trying to get full-time work. The institute refers to this as the "True Rate of Unemployment Out of Population (TROOP)." 

Of note: This data is for 2020, and 2021 figures won't be available until next fall.

Report pegs Philly's "true" unemployment rate

The Philadelphia metro's "true" unemployment increased by 5% between 2019 and 2020.

Unemployment in the Philadelphia metro area is hovering at about 5%, the lowest it&#x27;s been since before the pandemic, according to latest figures from the <a class="gtm-content-click" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics" data-vars-click-url="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT423798000000006?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&amp;output_view=data&amp;include_graphs=true" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT423798000000006?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&amp;output_view=data&amp;include_graphs=true" target="_blank">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>. <ul><li>It&#x27;s a major improvement from the <a class="gtm-content-click" data-vars-link-text="15% rate" data-vars-click-url="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT423798000000006?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&amp;output_view=data&amp;include_graphs=true" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT423798000000006?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&amp;output_view=data&amp;include_graphs=true" target="_blank">15% rate</a> BLS reported in April of 2020, right after major coronavirus-driven shutdowns.</li></ul>Yes, but: One analysis suggests unemployment in the metro is much higher — and that the &quot;true&quot; number of people who were jobless during the height of the pandemic was around 28.3%.

News

Data: Myers Abortion Facility Database on OSF; Map: Thomas Oide/Axios

Abortion will remain legal in Pennsylvania, up to about 24 weeks, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. But protections are still vulnerable. 

Driving the news: The nation's high court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case over Mississippi's law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. 

The big picture: The Supreme Court's decision could potentially overturn the 1973 ruling, which set the precedent for a constitutional right to abortion. 

Without Roe, abortion laws vary by state, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez reports. Abortion would immediately become illegal in 12 states, none of which are located in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic region. 

Zoom in: Pennsylvania isn't one of the 15 states with laws explicitly legalizing abortion, but it does have a long list of patchwork abortion restrictions. 

Pennsylvania bans abortions after 24 weeks. If Roe v. Wade is reversed, the state legislature could create a more restrictive law and send it to the governor to sign.  

Between the lines: Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to veto any bills that come to his desk aiming to restrict abortion access. He's shut down three so far. 

However, Pennsylvania has a Republican-controlled legislature, and the term-limited governor's seat is up for grabs next year. 

Having both Republican-controlled executive and legislative branches would likely change the dynamics, potentially allowing for stricter laws to be enacted faster. 

What they're saying: "I remain committed to do everything in my power to protect these rights for the rest of my term. Abortion is health care. It must remain safe and legal," Wolf said. 

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who's running for governor next year, called this case an attempt to "rob women of their constitutional right to control their own bodies." 

Shapiro filed an amicus brief with several other states arguing Mississippi's law is unconstitutional. 

The other side: Former Republican congressman and governor hopeful Lou Barletta told Axios in a statement that he hopes SCOTUS upholds the Mississippi law. 

"As Americans, we should do all that we can to protect the most vulnerable, and that should include unborn children," he said. 

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, who's expected to run for governor, introduced a bill earlier this year that would ban abortions if a doctor can detect a heartbeat, which can happen as early as six weeks. He sponsored similar legislation in 2019. 

Meanwhile, Republicans in the House and Senate are trying to amend Pennsylvania's constitution to clarify that there's no right to an abortion.  

The bottom line: Realistically, abortion is safe in Pennsylvania for now, but that can change with next year's election season. 

What to watch: The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the summer of 2022.  

SCOTUS' ruling on Mississippi abortion case could impact Pennsylvania

If Roe v. Wade is reversed, the state legislature could create a more restrictive law and send it to the governor to sign.

Abortion will remain legal in Pennsylvania, up to about 24 weeks, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. But protections are still vulnerable. Driving the news: <a class="gtm-content-click" data-vars-link-text="The nation&#x27;s high court heard oral arguments" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/supreme-court-abortion-mississippi-viability-ef8d640f-f1f4-4642-b318-606ca603e0d9.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/supreme-court-abortion-mississippi-viability-ef8d640f-f1f4-4642-b318-606ca603e0d9.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" target="_self">The nation&#x27;s high court heard oral arguments</a> Wednesday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#x27;s Health Organization, a case over Mississippi&#x27;s law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Forced closures during the pandemic fueled many U.S. courts to adopt new technology to function virtually, but a new report shows the advancements didn't help everyone equally.

Why it matters: Technology choices sparked equity issues for people without lawyers, particularly in eviction cases in civil court, according to new research published by the Pew Charitable Trusts this month. 

It also made navigating the court system difficult for people with limited internet and computer access, individuals with disabilities, and people with limited English proficiency. 

State of play: One in six Philadelphians lack broadband access at home. 

Meanwhile, only 10% of tenants in the city have representation in court, compared with 75% of landlords.

Of note: Philadelphia is working on launching Right to Counsel, a program to guarantee legal representation for low-income tenants in eviction court. But that won't pilot until next year. 

The big picture: More than 80% of all state courts were permitting or encouraging remote hearings for evictions by November 2020.

Despite federal moratoriums, eviction cases still filled civil court dockets during the pandemic.

Zoom in:  The Philadelphia Municipal Court — which handles the majority of eviction cases — voluntarily halted lockouts until July 2021.

Since August 2020, the court has moved back to primarily holding in-person hearings, but will conduct virtual ones if a need is proven.

The Court of Common Pleas is holding virtual hearings for appeals in landlord-tenant court cases.

What they're saying: Vik Patel, a tenant lawyer with Community Legal Services, said many low-income clients don't have access to video-conferencing software or a computer. 

While Patel offers the technology to his clients in his office, not everyone has a lawyer.

Jacob Speidel, director of tenant rights with the SeniorLAW Center, said the shift led to some unintended consequences. 

"People who didn't have lawyers or were not technologically sophisticated would try to go to court to file documents and were sometimes turned away," Speidel said. "My concern is people who weren’t able to navigate the system and just ended up losing their homes."

The other side: Paul Cohen, a lawyer for the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia, called virtual hearings "the way of the future."

Cohen said he wasn't aware of any cases that were delayed because of tenants not having access to technology.

Both Speidel and Patel acknowledged that virtual hearings can be beneficial for people with medical issues or those who can't find child care. 

Advancement of court tech didn't benefit everyone

Technology choices sparked equity issues for people without lawyers, according to new research.

A hand cursor hovering over apartment buzzers. 

Forced closures during the pandemic fueled many U.S. courts to adopt new technology to function virtually, but a new report shows the advancements didn&#x27;t help everyone equally.Why it matters: Technology choices sparked equity issues for people without lawyers, particularly in eviction cases in civil court, according to new research published by <a class="gtm-content-click" data-vars-link-text="the Pew Charitable Trusts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/12/01/pandemic-spurs-technology-revolution-in-state-civil-courts?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/12/01/pandemic-spurs-technology-revolution-in-state-civil-courts?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" target="_blank">the Pew Charitable Trusts</a> this month. <ul><li>It also made navigating the court system difficult for people with limited internet and computer access, individuals with disabilities, and people with limited English proficiency. </li></ul>

Data: Climate Central; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

It's not your imagination. Autumn in Philadelphia is getting warmer.

Why it matters: Climate change is driving the increases, and the warmer weather can lead to additional cooling costs and longer allergy seasons. 

The big picture: Of the 246 U.S. cities analyzed by nonprofit news organization Climate Central, the vast majority saw more warm days in September through November of 2020 than they did 50 years ago.

By the numbers: 57% of those cities warmed by at least two degrees.

68% have seen at least seven additional days of above-average fall temperatures. 

Zoom in: Philadelphia had 15.3 more days with above-normal temperatures in 2020, compared to 1970. 

The city has also warmed by nearly 3 degrees. 

Of note: This chart doesn't include the meteorological fall of 2021.

Philadelphia's autumn is getting warmer

Philadelphia had 15.3 more days with above-normal temperatures in 2020, compared to 1970.

It&#x27;s not your imagination. Autumn in Philadelphia is getting warmer.Why it matters: Climate change is driving the increases, and the warmer weather can lead to additional cooling costs and longer allergy seasons.

Taylor Allen

Featured stories

Advancement of court tech didn't benefit everyone

Philadelphia's autumn is getting warmer

Report pegs Philly's "true" unemployment rate

Omicron variant found in Philadelphia man

SCOTUS' ruling on Mississippi abortion case could impact Pennsylvania