DHSS Press Release

WEEKLY COVID-19 UPDATE - MAY 28, 2021: DELAWARE SEES LOWEST NUMBER OF CASES SINCE AUGUST

DOVER (May 28, 2021) - The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing an update on the most recent statistics related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Delaware, as of 6 p.m. Thursday, May 27, 2021.

A total of 108,681 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to DPH since March 11, 2020. The seven-day average of new positive cases decreased to 74.1 as of Thursday, May 27.

As of Tuesday, May 25, the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests that were positive was 2.7%, a decrease from 3.6% as of Tuesday, May 18. There is a two-day lag for presenting data related to percent of tests that are positive to account for the time delay between the date of the test and the date that DPH receives the test result.

In addition, 62 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, down 12 from this time last week. Nine of the hospitalized persons are critically ill, down one from last week.

A total of 1,660 Delawareans have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The state reported 6 additional deaths since last week's update. The total number of individuals who have died from COVID-19 range in age from younger than 5 to 104 years old. Of those who have died, 833 were female and 827 were male. A total of 824 individuals were from New Castle County, 343 were from Kent County, and 493 were from Sussex County.

Protect Yourself During the Memorial Day Weekend:
With the long holiday weekend upon us and many people taking to our beaches or cooking out with friends and family, it is important to remind those who are not vaccinated that the best protection against COVID-19 is to continue to wear a mask and to get vaccinated as soon as possible. While the cases of COVID-19 have significantly decreased in recent weeks, the Division of Public Health saw an increase in cases last year after the Memorial Day weekend due to Delawareans dropping their guard and gathering closely with others. All Delawareans should make the necessary effort to protect themselves against the virus. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent infection, but if someone is not able or unwilling, mask wearing and staying six feet away from others is the key to protecting yourself against contracting and spreading COVID-19. Many pharmacies are open this weekend and able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

Expansion of Gift Card Locations for DEWins Incentive Program Beginning next week, vaccine providers, including those who work with community-based organizations, will be able to request gift cards from DPH when they make their vaccine order request. DPH hopes this expansion of the gift card portion of the DEWins program will encourage even more Delawareans to get vaccinated.

Update on COVID-19 Variant Cases in Delaware:
To date, the Division of Public Health has identified the following COVID-19 variants in Delaware through routine surveillance of test specimens. These variants are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest.

Variants of Concern
Variant	Origin	# of Cases
B.1.1.7	United Kingdom	771
B.1.351	South Africa	1
B.1.427	California, US	9
B.1.429	California, US	11
P.1	Brazil	23

Variants of Interest
Variant	Origin	# of Cases
B.1.525	New York, US	2
B.1.526	New York, US	260
B.1.526.1	New York, US	29
B.1.617.2	India	4

In aggregate, the cases include 917 adults ranging in age from 18-98, as well as 193 individuals under the age of 18. A total of 846 individuals were from New Castle County, 152 were from Kent County and 112 were from Sussex County.

The Delaware Public Health Laboratory has sequenced 2,690 specimens for COVID-19 variant strains to date, including 135 within the past week.

Virus mutation is common. Public health approach and treatments are currently not any different, but as these variants may be more contagious, it is even more important that individuals remain vigilant and continue taking the necessary steps to avoid spreading the virus - wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid gatherings.

For more information regarding CDC variant classifications, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html.

COVID-19 Vaccinations:
As of 12:01 a.m. May 28, a total of 906,543 administered doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been reported to the state's immunization information system, DelVAX. A total of 814,230 doses have been delivered to the state, and 344,295 doses have been delivered as part of the federal provider programs.

Delaware's latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics can be found under the Vaccine Tracker dashboard at de.gov/healthycommunity. For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine and the vaccination rollout in Delaware, visit de.gov/covidvaccine.

Breakthrough Cases:
Vaccination significantly reduces the chance to developing COVID-19 or becoming seriously ill from it. To date, 381,498 Delawareans have been fully vaccinated. Of those, there have been 330 breakthrough cases of COVID-19, less than one-tenth of one percent. A breakthrough case is defined as testing positive for COVID-19 after an individual has been fully vaccinated for two weeks or more - though it does not mean that the infection actually occurred after vaccination. Eight of the reported breakthrough cases involved hospitalizations, two resulted in death. Both cases involved individuals with underlying health conditions. Breakthrough cases are extremely rare and the science is clear, the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

DPH Offers Free Transportation to Vaccine Appointments at Public Health Clinics
DPH has contracted with two vendors, DinesteHealth and Delmarva Transportation, to provide free rides to a DPH Clinic to get a COVID-19 vaccination. To arrange for this free transportation, contact the DPH Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715 and press option 3. To view a list of DPH Clinics offering vaccinations, visit de.gov/getmyvaccine. Walk-ins at all sites are welcome, or you may schedule an appointment. All sites are located near DART bus routes and are wheelchair accessible. The DPH clinics offer the Pfizer vaccine so anyone age 12 and older is eligible to be vaccinated at these sites. Parental consent is required for anyone under age 18 but a parent is not required to be there in person. Parental consent can be provided by completing, printing and signing the Immunization Reporting Record located on the webpage under the clinic location section.

Delawareans are Reminded of State Requirements for Use of Face Masks Delaware Governor John Carney's 29th modification to the COVID-19 State of Emergency declaration, continues to require mask-wearing in the following settings regardless of vaccination status:

• Public transportation (includes buses, paratransit, taxi, ride-sharing services)
• Health care facilities (includes but not limited to hospitals, medical clinics and offices, special care, labs, dentists, pharmacies, blood banks/drives, veterinary care) applies to patients, staff, and visitors
• Long-term care facilities (applies to residents in certain circumstances along with staff, visitors, vendors and contractors)
• State facilities
• Correctional facilities
• Homeless shelter
• Child care facilities (staff, parents, visitors, students kindergarten and above)
• Schools

DPH strongly encourages unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals to continue to wear masks in public settings and around those who live outside of their household. Individual businesses have the ability to enact stricter requirements than the state and require mask use.

While the updated State of Emergency no longer requires social distancing, DPH continues to strongly encourage six feet of social distancing for unvaccinated persons per the CDC definition.

Long-term Care Statistics:
With the situation in most long-term care facilities stable, DPH has decided to remove the list of deaths by facility from the weekly release. Moving forward the Division will continue to provide a basic summary. As of 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 27, there have been a total of 2,735 positive COVID-19 cases involving long-term care residents, and 753 residents of Delaware long-term care facilities have died from complications related to COVID-19.

If you are sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or headache or congestion or runny nose without a known cause such as allergies. Other symptoms such as abdominal pain or lack of appetite have been identified as potential symptoms related to COVID-19 and may prompt further screening, action or investigation by a primary care provider. If you are sick and need essential supplies, ask someone else to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy to get what you need.

DPH reminds Delawareans that if you believe you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have symptoms of illness, make sure to distance yourself from others, particularly vulnerable populations. Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions - including serious heart conditions, chronic lung conditions, including moderate to severe asthma, severe obesity and those who are immunocompromised, including through cancer treatment - may have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Information about testing events, including community testing sites, permanent fixed testing sites, and free-standing sites operated by the health care systems and hospitals, will be listed on the testing section of the Delaware coronavirus website at de.gov/gettested.

Delawareans 18 or older are encouraged to download COVID Alert DE, Delaware's free exposure notification app to help protect your neighbors while ensuring your privacy. Download on the App Store or Google Play.

Individuals with general questions about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211, or email delaware211@uwde.org. Hours of operation are:

Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.

Individuals who have complaints about individuals violating public gathering restrictions should contact state or local law enforcement. Concerns that a business may be violating operating restrictions should be directed to: HSPContact@delaware.gov.

Questions related to business re-openings or operations as businesses re-open should go to COVID19FAQ@delaware.gov.

Questions regarding unemployment claims should be emailed to: UIClaims@delaware.gov.

As a reminder, DPH recently announced it has created a pathway for the public to submit complaints if they believe a COVID-19 vaccination provider is violating vaccination requirements. Those complaints can be directed to HSPContact@delaware.gov.

DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware's response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Delaware's Government

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