More than three months later, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday released its conclusions on the deaths. The cause for both: Drowning. The manner of Patterson’s death was “undetermined,” while Siler’s was “accidental.”
By Julie Shaw
He was told the process could take up to a year, he said. Identifying the remains also will take time, a spokesman in the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office has said.
By John Beauge
Inquirer
City Managing Director Brian Abernathy said officials have been clear in their communication with residents, listened to their concerns, and created an advisory group.
“I’m a little disappointed that folks feel like we lied to them. … We have been very forthright throughout this process that there were chemicals released in the air,” Abernathy said.
By Ellie Silverman
Philly Magazine
City spokesperson Deana Gamble said on Wednesday that the city’s air quality meter had not been properly calibrated at the time of the measurement, and that inspectors with the city’s Air Management Services had asked the Environmental Protection Agency and PES to confirm “zero readings” for hydrogen fluoride.
“Both confirmed that there was no HF present in the community, and the AMS inspectors took the improperly calibrated meter out of service,” Gamble said. “AMS subsequently confirmed with the manufacturer that the handheld device was in fact in need of recalibration and was thus unreliable when used immediately after the fire.”
https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/10/16/pes-explosion-investigation-update/
By Claire Sasko
Release
WHYY
As dozens of vaping-related lung illnesses are being investigated across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Wednesday that they will introduce legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes and vape pods from stores that sell to minors.
By Nina Feldman
Fox29
“No one knows what’s in these products,” Dr. Farley explained. “Even the FDA doesn’t know, because they haven’t required manufacturers to submit a list of ingredients.”
By Staff
PhillyVoice
Under the proposed bill, sales of various product types would be limited to adult-only stores that require patrons to be at least 18 years old.
The products listed in the legislation include e-cigarettes with more than 20 mg/ml of nicotine salts, e-cigarettes with flavorings and e-liquids with more than 20 mg/ml of nicotine salts or flavorings sold separately.
By Michael Tanenbaum
Philly Magazine
At a press conference on Wednesday, city health commissioner Tom Farley noted that 25 percent of high school seniors in Pennsylvania currently use e-cigarettes. (For comparison, less than five percent of the adult population currently vapes.) While the rate of teen vaping was previously declining in the state, the figure doubled from 2017 to 2019. “These teens are not smokers trying to quit,” Farley said, referencing the traditional argument made in favor of e-cigarettes. “These are kids getting addicted to an entirely new product.”
https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/10/17/philadelphia-vape-laws/
By David Murrell
Metro
Under this new legislation, e-cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes that contain higher levels of nicotine will only be sold in stores that service adults, not children or teens. Kenney said this is a crucial step to make since more and more kids are becoming addicted to e-cigarettes at a young age.
https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/philadelphia/mayor-kenney-proposed-new-e-cigarette-legislation
By Becca Glasser-Baker
CBS3
Philadelphia is joining the crackdown on e-cigarettes as vaping-related illnesses are on the rise across the United States. Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Tom Farley announced new legislation proposing restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes to minors on Wednesday.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/10/16/mayor-jim-kenney-restricting-sale-e-cigarette-minors/
By Staff
Inquirer
But Farley noted that many children are going straight to e-cigarettes.
“More than 25% of 12th graders are now vaping,” said Farley. “These teens are not smokers. They’re getting addicted to an entirely new product. No one knows what’s going to happen to these children’s lungs if they use these products for years or decades. We don’t want any more young people clinging to life on a ventilator.”
https://www.inquirer.com/health/philly-restricting-vaping-sales-minors-ecigarette-20191016.html
By Bethany Ao
6ABC
Philadelphia Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley said, “It was done aware of the risks of preemption. But on the other hand, we feel we have to act. So if companies want to take us to court, take us to court. We believe this is the right thing to do to protect our children.”
By Bob Brooks
KYW
E-cigarettes typically contain 59 milligrams of nicotine per millimeter of liquid. Stores owners that want to allow teens and children inside would have to limit e-cigarette sales to products with no more than 20 milligrams per millimeter–and no added flavoring.
https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/philly-officials-introduce-bill-attempt-limit-e-cigs
By Pat Loeb
NBC10
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley also announced that “Behind the Haze,” a social media campaign spreading awareness on the dangers of vaping, is set to launch next week.
“It shows teens that e-cigarettes contain chemicals that are either of unknown risk or that are in fact known as carcinogens, meaning they can cause cancer,” Dr. Farley said.
By Rudy Chinchilla and David Chang
Philly Tribune
E-cigarette manufacturers are not required to submit a list of ingredients to the federal regulators, said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a written statement.
By Michael D’Onofrio
Inquirer
When reached for comment about the lawsuit, a medical examiner spokesperson said the office does not comment on ongoing litigation. Osbourne did not return requests for comment.
By Stephanie Farr
People Magazine
Philadelphia police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. The medical examiner’s office said the office, as a rule, doesn’t respond to ongoing litigation in which it is involved.
https://people.com/crime/pennsylvania-teacher-death-ruled-suicide-family-wants-homicide/
By Chris Harris
Local News 21
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office says they won’t comment on the case.
By Brian Sheehan
“We deeply regret the inadvertent exposure of personal health information on our website,” said Thomas Farley, Philadelphia’s health commissioner. “We will conduct a thorough investigation of this incident, attempt to determine if any confidential information was accessed by others, take appropriate corrective actions, and do everything we can to protect the privacy and security of personal information.”
The department did not say whether it planned to notify all whose records were exposed. A city spokesperson said they were still investigating the scope of the incident and “cannot comment on specific actions” until more is learned.
By Nathaniel Lash
Information Security Media Group
In a statement provided on Monday to Information Security Media Group, the Philadelphia department of public health says it was notified on Oct. 11 that personal health information was available for download on one of the departments webpages. “The information was removed immediately. Since that time, the health department had been working with the vendor and city officials to find out what data was potentially exposed, how many people’s records were exposed, and what actions are required be done in response to the exposure,” the statement says.
https://www.healthcareinfosecurity.com/hepatitis-patients-data-exposed-a-13241
By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
CBS3
Anyone who visited the Philadelphia International Airport last week may have been exposed to the measles, health officials announced Friday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health says the exposure occurred on Oct. 2 in Terminal F from 6:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Oct. 3 in Terminal F from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Terminal A from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Terminal A/B shuttle bus from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
By Staff
Philly Voice
The state’s Department of Health joined the Philadelphia Department of Public Health for a public health alert Friday, warning of “possible exposure” to the disease for travelers who visited the airport on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
By Adam Hermann
NBC10
Anyone who visited certain terminals at the Philadelphia International Airport on Oct. 2 and 3 may have been exposed to measles, state health officials warned Friday.
A person with a suspected case of measles walked through the parts of the airport. Possible exposure locations and times are:
By Staff
Patch
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said those who visited the Philadelphia International Airport on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 they may have been exposed to measles.
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/philly-airport-flyers-may-have-been-exposed-measles
By Max Bennett
Inquirer
The disease was declared officially eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But this year, the United States is dealing with its worst measles outbreak since 1992, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting more than 1,200 cases confirmed in 31 states. The includes 15 cases in Pennsylvania, as of Oct. 11; and 19 cases in New Jersey, as of Oct. 3.
If you believe you may have been exposed to measles and experience symptoms, the health department advises contacting your healthcare provider or calling its toll-free hotline: 1-877-PA-HEALTH.
https://www.inquirer.com/health/measles-outbreak-philadelphia-airport-exposure-20191011.html
By Oona Goodin-Smith
Fox News
People who traveled through the air hub on Oct. 2 and 3 may have been exposed to the infectious disease, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/philadelphia-airport-measles-report-officials
By Janine Puhak
6ABC
Measles is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing or other contact with the mucus or saliva of an infected person. Symptoms typically appear one to three weeks after exposure and include: rash; high fever; cough; and red, watery eyes.
https://6abc.com/health/possible-measles-exposure-at-philadelphia-international-airport/5613646/
By Staff
Health Commissioner Tom Farley said this bill would force hospital owners to make their intention to close more explicit.
“While this enforcement mechanism has its limits, the safeguard will definitely make it more difficult for irresponsible owners to just walk away from a hospital,” Farley said.
He echoed Gym’s assertion that local authorities are better suited to oversee the hospitals in their region than state regulators are, especially when it comes to a transfer of patients and their medical records to other local health care providers.
https://whyy.org/articles/helen-gym-has-a-plan-to-prevent-another-hanhemann/
By Nina Feldman
In Philadelphia, the rate of primary and secondary syphilis cases was more than twice that high, at 26 cases per 100,000 people. Health experts have connected the city’s numbers in part to men who have unprotected sex with men, though the rates in women have climbed lately. Drug use and poverty also are factors.
https://www.inquirer.com/health/syphilis-gonorrhea-chlamydia-std-cdc-20191008.html
By Tom Avril
“With this change, there was a dramatic change in air quality, reduction in sulfur dioxide, as well as fine particle pollution,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, who directed New York’s health department at the time the ordinance passed.
Farley said only a few buildings in Philadelphia currently use these dirty oils, so the impact here will be far less.
“But these fine particles from these fuel oils tend to stay near the site … so for the people who might be exposed, this is clearly a benefit.”
https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-wants-to-ban-highly-polluting-oils-burned-to-heat-buildings/
By Catalina Jaramillo
The Collected Works of Jim Garrow 