The First State is reporting one of its worst days for COVID-19 cases ever.
State public health officials report Delaware added 465 new positive cases Thursday – the state’s second highest single-day number since the pandemic began.
Only the 488 new cases reported on May 10th was higher.
The state’s seven-day rolling average for new cases is now just over 279. That’s the highest it’s ever been.
Hospitalization also ticked up to 130 Thursday–the highest since June 3.
The seven-day average for the percent of people testing positive in Delaware increased over the past week from 10.2 percent to 12.8 percent.
The state reported 18 new coronavirus-related deaths in the past week, seven of which were the result of a review of Vital Statistics records, public health officials say. A total of 734 Delawareans have now died due to complications from the virus.
The state began watching outbreaks of the virus in four additional long-term care facilities in the past week. Officials were already monitoring outbreaks at five. The facilities added to the list are:
- Cadia Helthcare Capitol in Dover
- Delmar Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delmar
- The Moorings at Lewes in Lewes
- Oak Bridge Terrace at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin
Each had over a dozen residents test postive and more than 10 cases involving staff.
The University of Delaware is also reporting a new high for case numbers. 103 students have tested positive this week – eclipsing the previous high of 88 reported last week.
The University notes that it will host two testing sites in the coming days, in addition to its regular surveillance testing Mondays and Wednesdays. The first is a New Castle County drive-up site Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the STAR Campus. The second is a Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) walk-up event Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on its Laird Campus.
State health officials maintain that the primary driver of the increase in cases is public and private social gatherings.
“What we can see in our data is that social gatherings, whether at a house party, casual dinner, or restaurant, where people take off their masks while they eat, drink and chat, are the primary situations in which COVID-19 is being spread,” said Department of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay in a statement Friday. “It is just not safe right now to socially eat, drink, casually hang out or party with people outside of our household unless we are socially distanced and outside.”
Gov. John Carney said earlier this week he and state public health officials are considering new restrictions on both public and private gatherings to slow the spread of the virus and “get the attention of folks so it’s more top of mind.”
Republican lawmakers pushed back on those comments by Carney this week.
State Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View) and House Minority Leader Danny Short (R-Seaford) sent Carney a letter Thursday expressing the "apprehensions" regarding the possibility of new restrictions.
They urged Carney to keep the state's latest COVID numbers in context, arguing the state's hospital capacity is not currently an issue and the percentage of postive tests is relatively low and largely driven by the 18-34 age group they say can "weather the virus without severe consequences."
"We support the administration's efforts to convince citizens to wear face masks, practice safe social distancing and take other appropriate precautions to deter the spread of the contagion," the letter read. "However, we caution you from taking any action that will further damage the prospects of Delaware's working families and small businesses."
This story has been updated.
