Delaware is starting to use a new way to report COVID-19 positives in the state that will bring in line with neighboring states.
Delaware’s current percent of positive test rate is based on the number of individuals tested. The state now plans to also report the percent positive for total tests done on its pandemic dashboard.
The CDC and Johns Hopkins University recommend the total tests method, and the Director of Delaware’s Division of Public Health Dr. Karyl Rattay says it makes sense for the state to follow that recommendation.
"It's important to us to be able to present data consistent with those recommendations. An important reason is so that we can compare our data with other states," Rattay said.
Rattay says both methods produce the same curve throughout the pandemic, but she explains this new method will bring the state’s positivity rate down.
"Once we switch over to test based percent positive than our percent positive will go down significantly and a big reason is your denominator or the bottom part of the calculation is total tests which is much bigger than the total number of persons tested," said Rattay.
Community spread has risen in recent weeks, with the 7-day average of people testing positive at 8.1 percent over the past week and an average of nearly 140 new cases per day.
Rattay explains the new system offers other benefits.
"It also is a reflection of how well are we doing with testing, so the better were doing with testing the more people that we get tested you would expect that number to go lower," said Rattay.
The change also comes as not only has there been an uptick in community spread, but also outbreaks at four long-term care facilities in Wilmington, Greenwood and Hockessin.
