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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Delaware doubles

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Public health officials have announced 8 additional cases of the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 in Delaware— bringing the statewide total to 16.

One of the new cases is in Sussex County, the first to be discovered there. The rest are in New Castle County. 

State officials say one of the New Castle County individuals who tested positive is hospitalized. It is the first confirmed case in Delaware to require hospitalization.  The remaining patients are self-isolating at home. 

 

Wilmington’s Eastside Charter told students’ families that one of the self-isolating cases is a member of its staff. It recommends staff and families look for symptoms and contact their physician, if anyone displays symptoms.

 

And Wilmington mayor Mike Purzycki confirms a Public Works Department employee has also tested positive.  That person is in self-quarantine, and 11 other employees who interacted with that person over the past few days are also in self-quarantine.

Six of cases announced by the state were discovered through the ChristianaCare drive-through testing event held in Wilmington Friday. State public health officials do not have all results from that event yet. 

Officials say the Sussex County resident who tested positive had a travel-related exposure. The sources of exposure for the seven latest New Castle County residents remains under investigation. 

A spokesperson for the Division of Public Health said Monday that officials were investigating the possibility of community spread in the state’s 7th case, which was announced Sunday.  It involved a member of Sen. Tom Carper’s Delaware-based staff.

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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