Metrics measuring the spread of coronavirus continue to drop in the First State. COVID hospitalizations are below 100 statewide for the first time since late October and both the average number of new cases and the average percentage of positive tests are their lowest since the first week of November—210.7 cases per day and 4.2 percent, respectively.
Of the 99 hospitalizations 27 people are considered to be in critical condition.
Delaware Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay notes the metrics began taking a downward turn a bit before the vaccine distribution ramped up in Delaware, but she says it may be the case the vaccine is beginning to help slow the spread of the virus.
She says the state also credits a decrease in private gatherings.
“We know, just from our data, we saw a lot less gatherings of people—a lot less parties, a lot less people together in close settings in the January time frame as well. So there is a number of factors that led to the decreases that we are seeing,” said Rattay.
Rattay lists only two current geographical areas of concern in the state—even after lessening the qualifying metrics for concern.
One is Townsend and the other is Newark, where the University of Delaware had a recent uptick in COVID cases.
“So although it remains one of our hottest spots in the state and in the last month we have seen almost 500 cases in that area, we’re happy to see so much testing and the number of cases going down slightly,” said Rattay.
Delaware is approaching 1,500 total deaths related to COVID-19 with 1,482 as of Monday.
