By Matt Bittle

DOVER — Delaware saw almost 700 new COVID-19 cases in its Saturday update even as the number of hospitalizations fell by 19.

The 401 people hospitalized due to coronavirus as of 6 p.m. Friday is the fewest since there were 400 on Christmas day. Fifty-five of those 401 were critically ill, according to the Division of Public Health.

In total, there have now been 73,915 cases and 1,036 deaths. There were 69,322 cases and 1,027 deaths one week ago and 54,467 cases and 948 fatalities four weeks ago.

Delaware had vaccinated 64,690 people as of the latest update, with 31,635 doses remaining.

Scheduled vaccine clinics in Georgetown and Delaware City drew heavy turnouts Saturday, seriously impacting traffic around the Division of Motor Vehicles offices in both municipalities. The Department of Transportation reported heavy congestion on its Facebook page Saturday morning, and Delaware State Police issued a traffic advisory for Delaware City.

The state is partnering with the counties, the Delaware Medical Reserve Corps and hospitals for drive-through vaccinations at the DMV this weekend, which are by appointment only.

Vaccination events are set to continue today for the first cohort in the state’s second group of eligible residents. This group includes all individuals at least 65 years old, plus frontline essential workers like firefighters, police, correctional officers, teachers and education staff (including child-care providers), postal workers, grocery store employees and those in the fields of food manufacturing, agriculture and transportation.

Roughly 200,000 people fall into this category, although only 11,500 elderly individuals and 2,000 health care workers will receive shots this weekend.

More vaccination events will be announced in the near future.

New Castle County has seen 42,180 cases and 521 deaths, while there have been 12,017 cases and 190 fatalities in Kent County and 19,545 and 325, respectively, in Sussex County.

As of the latest update, DPH reported 6.7% of tests were positive, while the seven-day average, a key metric used by state officials, was 8.7%.

Just 3% of deaths have involved individuals younger than 50, including only two under age 18. Those who are 65 and older make up 84% of deaths but 14% of cases.

Residents of long-term care centers account for 53% of deaths.

Forty-seven percent of cases and 68% of deaths involve White residents of the state, while 23% of cases and deaths involve Black Delawareans. Hispanic and Latino Delawareans make up 17% of cases but only 6% of deaths. Delawareans of other races account for 13% of cases and 2% of deaths.

Females account for 53% of cases and 51% of fatalities here.

In total, 568,625 Delawareans, or more than half the state’s population, have been tested. Residents of Kent are the least likely to have been tested, per DPH data.