Delaware Secretary of Labor Cerron Cade said in a Tuesday press briefing that the state paid more than $30 million in unemployment benefits last week, compared to the average $1.5 million to $3 million it usually pays in a week.

He said the state has received 61,842 unemployment claims from March 11 through April 15 and while the staff has worked weekends to handle queries, he noted, “We’re not where we need to be just yet."

That number of claims in a month is almost the same as the 62,200 claims received in the two-year period from January 2018 to March 2020.

Sixty five percent of people who have applied for help have received benefits, Secretary Cade said, noting that 20 percent of applicants aren't eligible.

The state now has added texting as a way for people to ask questions and check their unemployment claim status.

To get information, people can:

Text "uifacts" to 555-888.

Call 302-761-8446.

Email uiclaims@delaware.gov.

Visit ui.delawareworks.com

Secretary Cade said the agency expects to have a new system ready in two to three weeks to handle claims from self employed individuals and independent contractors, an area it did not handle previously.