On this week's Explainer:
Keystone Crossroads' Avi Wolfman-Arent reports that more than a half a million kids in Pennsylvania are learning to read right now. It's a demanding task in normal times, and considered by many to be the most significant event of a child's academic career. Remote learning could exacerbate existing gaps in literacy skills, which can impact a student's grasp of other subject areas.
WESA's Sarah Boden reports that since the beginning of September, 300 children in Allegheny County have tested positive for COVID-19. While severe coronavirus illness among children is uncommon, dozens of kids statewide have experienced multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare but serious complication of the infection.
Health officials warn that even children without symptoms can spread the disease to vulnerable populations, like older relatives. And, Boden looks at the potential implications of changes to Gov. Tom Wolf's relaxed limits on crowd sizes, as the region experiences lower rates of infections daily.
And WESA's Kiley Koscinski reports that trick-or-treating is on in the city of Pittsburgh this year. She offers suggestions on how to stay safe while still having spooky fun this month.
Pittsburgh Explainer is hosted by Liz Reid and produced by Katie Blackley. New episodes come out every Friday. Subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
