Delaware announces 5 new deaths and 207 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday.
Four of the five deaths announced Monday were of Sussex County residents who ranged in age from 62 to 95, Division of Public Health officials said. Three of the four lived in long-term care facilities.
The fifth death was of an 81-year-old Kent County resident of a long-term care facility.
There was no update from the Division of Public Health on case numbers or virus-related deaths Sunday.
Monday's update brings the total number of deaths related to the virus in the First State to 72. The total number of cases since March 11 is up to 2,745.
More than 250 residents and non-residents are now hospitalized for the virus in Delaware, with 64 critically ill. Close to 500 have recovered.
State public health officials announced over the weekend several more virus-related deaths at state-run 24/7 healthcare facilities.
Of the 72 virus-related deaths so far, 42 have been residents of long-term care facilities. Of the 2,745 lab-confirmed cases to date, 167 have involved residents of long-term care facilities.
The state has confirmed virus-related deaths at six specific long-term care facilities: 14 deaths at Genesis HealthCare's Milford Center, 11 at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home near Newark, 5 at the Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, two at Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation and Health Center, one at the Governor Bacon?Health Center and two at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill. There have also been deaths at five other New Castle County and two other Sussex County long-term care facilities.
The Division of Public Health says it is finishing its transition to a new infectious disease surveillance system, which will allow Delaware to begin providing additional data on key demographic info, such as race or ethnicity for positive cases and deaths. DPH says during the transition, fields such as county of residence and sex may not have complete information.?
Gov. John Carney said Friday he was concerned about a growing number of cases in Sussex County, particularly within Hispanic communities. Cases in Sussex County passed 1,000 with Monday's update, lagging behind the more populous New Castle County by less than 200. The counties associated with 31 of the cases are unknown.
Advocates and elected officials have raised the alarm about the potential health and economic impact of the virus on minority communities in Delaware.
This story has been updated and corrected to reflect a correction issued by the Division of Public Health Monday afternoon: there have been 42, not 41, deaths associated with long-term care facilities and deaths at five, not six, unspecified New Castle County facilities.
