Delaware announced 12 more deaths related to the coronavirus Tuesday. The total statewide is now 137.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Delaware since March 11 is now at 4,575 — that number rose by 413 since Monday.
The number of Sussex County cases continues to grow quicker than the rest of Delaware. Sussex saw 244 new cases Tuesday compared to 72 in New Castle County which has more than twice the population of Sussex.
The spread of the disease continues to disproportionately affect Hispanic and Latino populations in Sussex County. The known case rate among Hispanics and Latinos in Sussex is 313 per 10,000. That’s at least three times as much per capita as any other racial group in any other Delaware county.
Sussex County currently has 2,114 confirmed cases, New Castle County has 1,701 and Kent County has 728.
Gov. John Carney Tuesday declared Sussex County a hot spot for COVID-19 and announced the initial schedule for testing sites for in Sussex communities seeing the most cases.
“Sussex County has become a hot spot for COVID-19, especially in areas along the Route 113 corridor,” said Carney in a statement. “We are working with community partners to expand testing sites and share educational information in those communities."
Six testing sites will be avaiable between Wednesday and Monday in Georgetown and Milford run by Bayheath and Beebe:
- Community Testing Site hosted by Beebe Healthcare in the parking lot between JD Shuckers and the Veteran’s Administration off of Rt. 404 in Georgetown: Wednesday, April 29 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Community Testing Site hosted by Bayhealth at the DHSS State Services Center in Milford located at 253 NE Front Street: Thursday, April 30 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Community Testing Site hosted by Beebe Healthcare in the parking lot between JD Shuckers and the Veteran’s Administration off of Rt. 404 in Georgetown: Friday, May 1 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Community Testing Site hosted by Bayhealth at the DHSS State Services Center in Milford located at 253 NE Front Street: Saturday, May 2 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Community Testing Site hosted by Beebe Healthcare in the parking lot between JD Shuckers and the Veteran’s Administration off of Rt. 404 in Georgetown: Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Community Testing Site hosted by Bayhealth at the DHSS State Services Center in Milford located at 253 NE Front Street: Monday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Nanticoke Memorial Hospital expects to additional community testing options next week.
State officials say Delaware and its partners tested more than 750 people last week during the first expansion of community testing in Sussex County. More than 35% of test results at those events came back positive.
And late last week, Carney requested Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assistance and the CDC sent an epidemiology team to Delaware to help quantify the spread of the disease downstate, fight it and make recommendations to prevent even more widespread transmission.
Carney’s emergency order requiring Delawareans to wear face coverings in public went into effect Tuesday.
Delaware held its first virtual town hall Monday to plan reopening the state and its economy in phases. The first gradual phase requires 14 days of reduced presumed cases of COVID-19 and other testing requirements.
The current hospitalizations in Delaware rose by 12 to 337 Monday.
More than 1,096 people are now considered recovered.
This story will be updated.
