Public health emergency extended once again in Delaware

COVID cases continue to rise

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Gov. John Carney extended Delaware’s public health emergency order by another 30 days Thursday.

He said the extension allows the state and its medical providers to continue COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs. It also enables ongoing staffing flexibility at hospitals and long-term care facilities, and maintains the state’s eligibility for low-income residents to continue receiving enhanced federal food benefits.

Under Delaware law, public health emergency declarations must be renewed every 30 days.
Meanwhile, the state’s COVID-19 transmission levels have increased during the latter part of April.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reported 66 individuals hospitalized with the virus in Thursday’s update — the most since 76 were hospitalized March 3. Hospitalizations were as low as 19 on March 27 and have stayed under the 100 mark since Feb. 25.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases per day is up to 187.4 — the highest it has been since Feb. 21, when the state was averaging 189.1 per day.

DPH reported 259 new positives in Thursday’s update, bringing the state’s total to 262,211. No new COVID-19-related deaths were announced; that total remained at 2,906.

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