Delaware announced 10 new deaths and another 186 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday.
That brings the total number of deaths related to the virus in the First State to 82.
The total number of cases since March 11 is up to 2,931.
Gov. John Carney emphasized Tuesday that Delaware is not ready to reopen. And he is concerned about other states, like Georgia, planning to start that process within the next week.
“States that are reopening without following the CDC guidance, that’s not going to happen here, if I have anything to do with it," he said. "These protest movements that are showing up around the country saying we don’t really care about what the CDC says or what the situation on the ground says, I mean that’s just not helpful.”
But Carney said he understands the concern about getting back to work.
“I hear the anguish in their voices," he said. "I hear the same amount of anguish in people’s voices when they say, don’t do it too soon. Protect me and my family. And that’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to try to thread the needle.”
Carney said the hardest part of getting ready to start reopening Delaware's economy remains testing capacity.
“Being able to deliver twice the number of tests that we’re doing today, and having a corps of healthcare workers that are going out there tracking contacts for each COVID-19 positive," he said.
Five of the ten deaths announced Tuesday were in Sussex County. Four were in New Castle County and one was in Kent. The list also included the youngest victim to date— a 32-year-old woman— and the oldest— a 103-year-old woman.
Six were residents of long-term care facilities. Of the state’s 82 deaths to date, 48 have been connected to these facilities.
The state has confirmed virus-related deaths at eight specific long-term care facilities: 18 deaths at Genesis HealthCare's Milford Center, 11 at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home near Newark, five at the Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, two at Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation, two at Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation and Health Center, two at New Castle Health and Rehabilitation Center, one at the Governor Bacon?Health Center and two at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill. There have also been deaths at three other New Castle County and two other Sussex County long-term care facilities.
Current hospitalizations statewide only rose by 7 to 263 Tuesday, with 71 people critically ill. Another 70 patients are considered recovered – bringing that total to 565.
State officials expressed concern last week about a growing number of cases within Hispanic communities in Sussex County. That county saw 84 new cases Tuesday. It now has 1,139 to date and trails the more populous New Castle County by just 164 cases.
The Department of Correction announced Monday another inmate in the Sussex County Community Corrections center has tested positive for COVID-19. Now six offenders and three officers have tested positive there.
The only Department of Correction facility with more cases is Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna. It has reported 27 cases, including 15 inmates.
