WILMINGTON — Gov. John Carney issued a modification to his state of emergency order Thursday, increasing indoor occupancy limits and requiring health care providers, pharmacies and other entities that administer the COVID-19 vaccine to offer it for free.

Effective at 8 a.m. Feb. 12, occupancy inside restaurants, retail locations, gyms, houses of worship, arts venues and other business locations must not exceed 50% of stated fire capacity. Businesses must continue to follow social-distancing and other COVID-19 restrictions issued by local and state governments.

The order also requires vaccination providers to report complete demographic information to DelVAX, the state’s immunization information system, within 24 hours of administering a vaccine. While the order also requires shots to be free of charge by COVID-19 vaccine providers, insurance information may be collected.

Failure to comply with data-reporting requirements in the order may result in fines for providers and reductions in vaccine allocation, according to a statement by Gov. Carney’s office.

“We need to make sure we’re distributing the vaccine equitably across our state,” Gov. Carney said in a prepared statement. “That is a priority. And we need to limit community spread of this virus. We know what works. Until we can vaccinate enough Delawareans, continue to wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s stay vigilant.”

Gov. Carney’s modification also allows youth and amateur sports tournaments to resume with a plan approved by the Delaware Division of Public Health. Delawareans who travel out of the state for sports tournaments and competitions are strongly encouraged, though no longer required, to self-quarantine in accordance with DPH guidance.

Additionally, Thursday’s modification extends consumer and voting protections during the COVID-19 crisis.

Effective at 9 a.m. Thursday, this modification strengthened a previous prohibition on price gouging. It also allows Delawareans to cast absentee ballots in 2021 municipal elections due to the pandemic.

Gov. Carney’s announcement comes at a time when Delaware’s COVID-19 statistics are improving after a post-holiday season surge.

The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide decreased to 315 in Thursday’s report — the second-lowest that number has been since Dec. 4. Hospitalizations have been on an overall downward trend since peaking at 474 on Jan. 12.

The DPH announced 242 new positive cases of COVID-19, which drops the state’s seven-day rolling average of positive cases to 397.3 cases per day. That figure was at 566.7 cases per day a week ago and as high as 823.3 cases per day less than a month ago.

Delaware has recorded a total of 79,225 positive cases of the virus since March 11, as of Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The DPH reported five additional COVID-19-related deaths in Thursday’s update, bringing the state’s total to 1,135. The five deaths ranged in age from 69 to 103.

Two of the five were residents of long-term care facilities — 597 of the state’s COVID-19-related deaths have occurred among long-term care center residents (52.5%). Two were from Kent County, two were from New Castle County, and one was a Sussex County resident.