The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has expanded the list of COVID vaccination clinics around the city and has added more clinics in West Philadelphia. A new city-run COVID vaccination site has opened at the Salvation Army (5501 Market St.).

The new site is open every Friday through at least April 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is operating mostly by appointment. Walk-ups are possible after 3 p.m. if there are any unused doses left, according to a staff member.

Only eligible Philadelphia residents can get vaccinated at city-run clinics (check eligibility criteria here). Please make sure to bring your ID or a piece of mail with your address.

For more information on city-run COVID vaccination clinics, go here.

Today, the School District of Philadelphia has announced its plans to welcome back students in grades 3-5 and students with complex needs in grades 6-8 in school buildings (Phase 2 of its Hybrid Learning Plan), and the beginning of the application process for families.

Beginning Tuesday, April 6, families can complete the Phase 2 Learning Model Selection Survey, where they can choose to have their children participate in hybrid learning. Families will have to make this selection until Tuesday, April 13. Phase 2 hybrid learning students would attend school in-person two days per week and engage in digital learning three days each week, beginning the week of Monday, April 26. Continue Reading

Starting today, the FEMA-run COVID vaccination site located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center will only administer second doses for about three weeks to those who received a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the clinic and scheduled an appointment for the second dose, according to city officials. After that, the site will switch to administering single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccinations. No walk-ups will be accepted at the site until further announcement.

The site officially opened on March 3 and is scheduled to close on April 30. City officials are hopeful that the Federal Government will extend the site’s operation beyond that date. Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia has announced that 22 additional schools will re-open for in-person next month. Students in grades preK-2 whose families have chosen the hybrid learning model, can return to the following schools beginning April 5:

Add B. Anderson School

William C. Bryant School

Laura H. Carnell School

Watson Comly School

Lewis Elkin School Continue Reading

Amen Brown (Photo from pahouse.com).

Amen Brown, a first-term lawmaker representing Philadelphia’s 190th Legislative District, which includes several West Philly neighborhoods, joined Attorney General Josh Shapiro this week to announce an historic agreement with the state’s largest gun show promoter, Eagle Arms, to ban sales of “ghost gun” kits at its shows. Brown reached out to the Eagle Arms owner and explained the devastation these kits were doing to the West Philadelphia communities he represents and communities across the city and the state.

“Ghost guns,” also known as “80 percent receivers,” are partially manufactured firearms that can be fairly easily fashioned into working guns. They typically have no commercial serial numbers. Nearly 250 ghost guns were recovered in Philadelphia last year. Continue Reading

The University of the Sciences (USciences), one of the city’s neighborhood mass COVID vaccination sites, will hold two walk-up vaccine clinics next month – on April 13 and April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to today’s announcement by the Philadelphia Department of Health. The clinics will be held at USciences’ Athletic/Recreation Center (ARC), 730 S. 43rd St.

All city-run mass vaccine clinics are open to Philadelphia residents only. Residents who meet the Philadelphia Phase 1a and 1b criteria are currently eligible to get vaccinated. Continue Reading