By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Delaware broke its COVID-19 hospitalization record for the fourth consecutive day Monday, as it reentered a state of emergency.

The number of individuals hospitalized with the virus is up to 589, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Monday report, an increase of 80 compared to the day prior.

New Castle County (356) and Sussex County (144) are at all-time highs for hospitalizations, while Kent County has 89, nearing its record of 112, set Jan. 12, 2021.

Of the 589 hospitalizations, 69 cases are considered critical, DPH said. All hospitalization data is as of 6 p.m. Sunday.

The state of emergency order from Gov. John Carney, which went into effect Monday, seeks to alleviate some of the strain on hospitals.

The order will increase bed capacity in acute-care facilities, with DPH’s assurance of adequate staffing, maintenance and safety. It will also enable members of the Delaware National Guard to work as certified nursing assistants in skilled nursing facilities, caring for patients who aren’t critically ill but who can’t be discharged. Approximately 100 members of the Guard are being trained to become CNAs.

The state of emergency declaration will also “allow the Public Health Authorities to set aside regulations in order to combat the surge in cases.”

“We still face a very serious situation with COVID-19 in Delaware, especially in our hospital facilities,” Gov. Carney said in a statement. “The best thing Delawareans can do to support those frontline health care workers is to remain vigilant — and do what works. After two years of this pandemic, we all know what to do. Mask up in public places to protect yourself and vulnerable family members. Get your vaccine. And get a booster if you’re eligible. That’s the best way to prevent serious illness and hospitalization.”

Delaware’s COVID-19 case rates have skyrocketed after the holiday season, as public health officials predicted they would.

The state is averaging a record 2,347.4 cases per day in its seven-day rolling average. That number was 742.7 cases per day Dec. 20.

DPH reported an additional 1,444 new cases in Monday’s update, after four days in a row of more than 3,000 cases.

The division added that it has now finished processing the backlog of reported testing results into its database due to the large volume of tests given last week.

As a result, there are now 3,333 positive cases listed for Saturday’s data and 3,550 for Friday, which is a record. Before the final week of December, Delaware’s record for most new positive cases in a single day was 1,217 on Jan. 6, 2021.

Six ZIP codes posted positive-test percentages above 30% for the week of Dec. 24-31: New Castle (32.1%), Wilmington’s 19802 ZIP code (31.1%) and 19801 ZIP code (31%), Townsend (30.6%), Lincoln (30.6%) and Newport/Stanton (30.5%).

No new COVID-19-related deaths were announced by DPH on Monday. Delaware has recorded 189,382 total positive cases of the virus and 2,286 COVID-19-related deaths.