Philly's indoor mask mandate to return; Recreational marijuana sales could start soon; 80 degrees on the way

THE RUNDOWN: 

1. Philadelphia mask mandate to be reinstated April 18 amid rising COVID-19 case counts

PHILADELPHIA -Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health announced the reinstatement of the city’s mask mandate for indoor public spaces on Monday after a rise in COVID-19 cases. 

Last week, the Philadelphia Department of Health said coronavirus cases increased by more than 50% in a ten-day span in the city where there's now an average of 142 new cases per day, according to Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole.  

"This looks like we may be at the start of a new COVID wave like Europe just saw," she said.

While hospitalizations remain low, Bettigole says Philadelphia no longer meets the threshold for the All Clear tier. 

The increase in cases moves Philadelphia from the All Clear tier to the Mask Precautions level, requiring masks to be worn indoors, including in schools and day cares. 

Bettigole says a one-week education period will be given to get the word out about the mandate before enforcement begins on April 18.

The guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has helped city officials with setting the timing for mandates, but the agency changed course in recent months, saying most Americans can safely take a break from wearing masks.

2. Iron Pipeline: 14 charged for allegedly trafficking nearly 400 guns to the Philadelphia area from south

PHILADELPHIA - Federal authorities have announced charges in connection with hundreds of firearms they say were illegally trafficked to Philadelphia from two states in the South.

Officials said fourteen people face gun trafficking and conspiracy charges in connection with nearly 400 firearms purchased in Georgia and South Carolina and brought to the city.

"Almost 400 firearms illegally trafficked to Philadelphia — made available on the black market to people who aren't lawfully allowed to purchase guns — each with the potential to destroy many lives," U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said.

Some of the firearms allegedly trafficked were used in crimes in the city, including shootings, and "dozens" remain on the streets of Philadelphia, said Matthew Varisco, special agent in charge of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Eleven people are charged in connection with nearly 300 firearms purchased from dealers in the Atlanta area and transported to Philadelphia for sales on the black market for a total of more than $100,000, authorities said.

Three people are charged in connection with more than 100 firearms purchased around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and brought to Philadelphia, authorities said. Three people are also charged in the two cases with dealing firearms without a license.
 

3. New Jersey approves 7 facilities for recreational cannabis sales

TRENTON – New Jersey regulators gave a green light Monday to seven facilities that already sell medical marijuana to also sell recreational cannabis, although it's not clear exactly when sales would begin.

Sales could start in a matter of weeks or longer, but a specific date wasn't set at the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s vote during a remotely held meeting. Three of the facilities, known as alternative treatment centers, are in the northern part of the state. Three are in the south, and one is in central New Jersey.

The timing of the start of sales is unclear in part because the facilities must still pass a regulatory inspection of their operations and be issued new licenses.

Retail sales for the general public would start in 13 dispensaries operated by the seven treatment centers across the state.

To get approval, the facilities have agreed that the coming influx of recreational buyers won't interrupt access for patients who are currently using medical marijuana. The facilities said they would reserve parking spaces for patients as well as keep hours specifically for patients only.

There are about 130,000 medical marijuana patients in the state, with an estimated roughly 800,000 potential recreational consumers, and fewer than 800,000 estimated "tourism" consumers, according to the commission.

4. Temperatures expected to stretch into 80s this week in Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA - The Delaware Valley could see temperatures reach 80 degrees this week as warm air from the south pump into the region over the next several days. 

Conditions overnight Monday will remain mostly dry, but a round of Tuesday morning showers will dampen your commute. FOX 29's Kathy Orr says the showers will engulf Philadelphia and its suburbs around 9 a.m. then move across New Jersey and offshore by noon. 

Temperatures that normally sit just above 60 degrees this time of year will make a meaningful jump on Tuesday. Forecasters expect highs to reach the mid-70s in parts of the Delaware Valley. 

The warmup will continue on Wednesday with highs around 80 degrees and plenty of sunshine. Forecasters say the warmup will peak on Thursday with temperatures set to stretch into the 80s, about 20 degrees warmer than the seasonal high. 

5. 76ers' Thybulle not fully vaccinated, can't play in Toronto

PHILADELPHIA - Matisse Thybulle took a seat, took a breath and took a moment to explain why he made a choice — one the Philadelphia 76ers defensive specialist admitted he tried to keep hidden — not to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thybulle’s choice will cost him playing time in the postseason, and could cost the Sixers their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against Toronto.

Thybulle is barred from Canada because unvaccinated foreign nationals are currently prohibited from entering the country and limited exemptions to the rule no longer apply to professional athletes.

Thybulle’s situation first became known last week when he was suddenly listed as "ineligible to play" on the NBA injury report on Philadelphia’s most recent trip to Toronto.

Thybulle broke his silence Sunday once the Sixers clinched the No. 4 seed and were matched up against the fifth-seeded Raptors. The Sixers will play at least Games 3 and 4 of the series in Toronto. Game 1 is Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

6. New Jersey man charged in possible string of anti-Semitic attacks

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Authorities in Lakewood, New Jersey have arrested a man accused of a violent string of crimes against members of the Orthodox Jewish community. 

Dion Marsh, 27, is facing several charges including three counts of attempted murder, bias intimidation and carjacking. The charges stem from a series of violent incidents that authorities say happened on Apr. 8 in both Jackson and Lakewood townships. 

Investigators linked Marsh to all four violent attacks and arrested him at his home in Manchester Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a release. 

FOX 29's Joann Pileggi reports that the victims are members of the Orthodox Jewish community. 

"The coincidence that all three were Hasidic Jews to me seems like enough to warrant at least a look that this is a biased incident if you had all the statements which corroborate this it’s pretty clear," Scott Richman from the Anti-Defamation League of New Jersey and New York said. 

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