State health officials reported six more COVID-19 related deaths and 61 new cases Thursday.
The death toll in Delaware is now at 52. The total number of lab-confirmed cases since March 11 rose to 2,075. The state reports current hospitalizations in Delaware are at 209, up just one from 208 Wednesday with 60 people critically ill.
And 378 Delawareans are considered recovered from COVID-19, up from 354 on Wednesday.
But state health officials warn that today’s case numbers may be deceptive due to processing delays. They expect to see numbers increase significantly tomorrow.
One of Thursday's deaths represents the first COVID-19 death at a state-run 24-7 facility.
The 57-year-old man at the Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City died April 14 at a New Castle County Hospital. Residents were moved from that facility last week so the site could serve as a step-down treatment center for area hospitals.
“This man’s death makes it even clearer to all of us just how vulnerable the residents of our 24/7 facilities are, as well as residents in private long-term care facilities up and down our state," said Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker n a statement.
Officials say the man was the only patient to test postive for the virus at the facility, while eight staff there have tested positive.
Additionally, two residents and two staff at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna have tested positive, and 12 patients and six staff have tested positive at the Delaware Psychiatric Center, the state 24-7 psychiatric hospital near New Castle.
Four of Thursday’s reported deaths were in New Castle County. Kent and Sussex Counties had one each. Four victims were over 65 years old and two deaths were connected to long-term care facilities. The state has again revised the number of deaths connected to long-term care facilities, saying that number is now 27 of the 52 deaths reported in the state to date.
The Department of Correction reported two new cases in the state’s prison system Thursday: a second inmate at Sussex Community Corrections Center in Georgetown and another correctional officer at Vaughn prison near Smyrna.
The inmate was housed near the first to test positive Sussex Community Corrections and is now at the COVID-19 treatment center at Vaughn. 14 inmates statewide have tested positive including 12 a Vaughn.
The officer at Vaughn is isolating at home. He’s the 14th correctional officer to test positive statewide and 10th at Vaughn.
DOC also says it has proactively tested another 56 inmates. 48 of 49 tested at Vaughn were negative while one test was resubmitted. Results for 7 inmates tested at Sussex Community Corrections are pending.
This story will be updated.
