Sunday, March 22, 2020


This Week in Review, March 22, 2020

Local Community:

It is the middle of the week, and on any normal day, these same streets would be filled with cars heading to school or work, but these empty streets are the new normal in the era of Coronavirus.  Schools, libraries, and most non-essential businesses are closed.  People can only take out food or get delivery from restaurants. 

Last week, Governor Tom Wolf ordered all schools in the commonwealth closed because of the spread of the coronavirus.  By the weekend, it was announced that all non-essential businesses in several counties surrounding Philadelphia had to temporarily close their doors as well.  Although many businesses complied with this, some remained open.  Following the first reported death from the virus in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Wolf repeated the demand again on Thursday evening, stating that there would be strong penalties for businesses that kept their doors open.  Many people believe these strong measures are necessary as more and more coronavirus cases are popping up in Pennsylvania, and with it greater concern that this sickness will affect more and more people without drastic isolation measures. 

Plant Life:

The spring season officially began this week, and although most trees remain bare, many spring plants have come out early in the northeast United States due to the mild winter and unseasonably warm temperatures.  In the Philadelphia area, forsythia bushes began dotting the area with a striking yellow color.  Forsythias often come out between Mid-March to early April depending on how warm it is.  Daffodils, another popular spring flower, have also begun blooming quite early this year.  With temperatures reaching into the high 70s this week, it should be no surprise these plants are out.    

Weather:

Sunday and Monday offered bright sun and mild temperatures, continuing the trend of an early spring.  It was briefly rainy on Tuesday with a mostly cloudy afternoon and brief periods of sunshine.  Wednesday was mostly sunny in the early part of the day.  There were brief periods of rain on Thursday and Friday as well, but the temperature reached into the 70s.  Saturday was sunny and clear, but it was much colder with temperatures in the high 40s throughout most of the day. 



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