By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Approximately 7,500 vaccinations were administered at last weekend’s COVID-19 vaccination event at Dover International Speedway, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health, as a move to Phase 1C of vaccine distribution could come as early as Wednesday.

The Medical Society of Delaware said Monday clinicians have been advised to expand vaccine delivery to their patients aged 16-64 with conditions that increase the risk for severe illness from COVID-19. This will go into effect on Wednesday, according to the society.

The DPH did not respond to a request for comment on this plan. Earlier on Monday, DPH spokesman Jim Lee said updates to the vaccination process will be highlighted in today’s weekly press briefing, which begins at 1:45 p.m.

Persons aged 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions will be the first Phase 1C group with vaccine access, according to the Delaware Medical Society.

Other groups in Phase 1C who will eventually receive access will be persons living in high-risk group settings (correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and group homes) and other essential workers who work in industries such as transportation and logistics, food service, shelter and housing (construction), finance, IT and communications, energy, media, legal, public safety (engineers), water and wastewater.

Phase 1B officially started on Jan. 21 with a focus on those 65 years and older.

The weekend vaccination clinic at Dover International Speedway was originally scheduled for educators, school staff and child care providers, part of the current Phase 1B group, and appointments were first made through the Delaware Department of Education. Additional appointments were made through employers in other eligible 1B industries and associations, including grocery stores, transit workers, law enforcement, home health care, food manufacturing and other areas, Mr. Lee said.

During past three weeks, the state focused on teachers, school staff and child care providers. DOE spokeswoman Alison May said more than 16,000 K-12 educators/school staff members requested vaccination through DOE, and everyone who requested vaccination has been invited to at least one vaccination event.

Every licensed child care provider also has been invited Ms. May said, but since there was not a pre-registration system for child care providers the number of registrations is unknown at this time.

The DPH’s vaccine tracker is reporting 324,111 total administered doses of the vaccine, according to information in the state’s immunization system DelVAX as of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. That figure does not include most of the approximately 7,500 doses from the Dover International Speedway event as those are awaiting entry.

A reported 122,712 individuals are fully vaccinated, according to DelVAX, with 116,718 receiving two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and an additional 5,994 persons who were administered with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The remaining doses have gone to 84,755 individuals who have received just one dose so far of a two-dose series.

Delaware has received 329,290 doses of the vaccine directly and 66,925 more doses delivered through the Federal Pharmacy Program. The vaccine tracker reports 72,104 doses remaining, although that number is likely lower given the administered doses still waiting to be entered.

The DPH reported 228 new cases of COVID-19 in its daily update Monday, reflecting data as of Sunday at 6 p.m. This brings the total amount of COVID-19 positive cases to 90,614 since March 11, 2020.

Delaware’s seven-day rolling average of percentage of positive COVID-19 tests is at 3.7%, below the World Health Organization’s recommended mark of 5% for the 14th day in a row.

The number of individuals hospitalized with the virus is at 95 — a decrease of five compared to the day prior. Of those hospitalized, 14 cases are considered critical.

The DPH reported four newly-announced COVID-19-related deaths, including three from a review of Vital Statistics records from January and February. This brings the COVID-19-related deaths toll to 1,511.

One of the deaths was a resident of a long-term care center — the 719th COVID-19-related deaths from a long-term care facility. Three of the death were Kent County residents and the other was from Sussex County. The four individuals ranged in age from 78 years old to 92 years old.