COVID-19 cases in the First State hit a new milestone – topping 1,000 Wednesday with 188 new cases reported. State public health officials say three more people have died.
The latest deaths involve two New Castle County residents— an 88-year-old man who lived in a long-term care facility and an 81-year-old man— as well as a 74-year-old Sussex County woman.
There have been 19 virus-related deaths now in Delaware — and 1,116 lab-confirmed cases since March 11th. Nine of the deaths have been related to long-term care facilities, including?six?at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home near Newark, two others in New Castle County, and one in Sussex County.?
Current hospitalizations are also on the rise, jumping to 177 Wednesday, with 51 critically ill. The number of hospitalizations, which reflects both Delaware residents and non-Delaware residents in First State hospitals, stood at 147 Tuesday.
The state also reports 159 people have recovered and more than 8,300 people have tested negative for COVID-19.
State public health officials also announced Wednesday five patients and three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Delaware Psychiatric Hospital on the grounds of the Herman Holloway Sr. Campus near New Castle. The patients have been moved into isolation at the hospital, and staff members are self-isolating at their homes.
This is the seventh care facility in Delaware to report cases of COVID-19. The others are Little Sisters of the Poor in Newark, HarborChase of Wilmington, Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City, Forwood Manor in Wilmington, and two unnamed nursing homes in Kent and Sussex counties each with one case reported.
The Delaware Department of Correction announced a second inmate has tested positive for the virus at the Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.
The second inmate to test positive is from the same housing area as the first positive case. Both are in the infirmary, while other inmates from that housing area were moved to a vacant building across the compound to provide more physical distance among inmates.
Several correctional officers and contract healthcare workers have also tested positive. That includes a probation and Parole Officer assigned to the Cherry Lane Probation and Parole Office in New Castle. DOC reports it confirmed that officer's positive test Wednesday. The officer was last at the facility on Friday, April 3 and is self-isolating at home.
This story has been updated.
