By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Dover International Speedway will host a large vaccination event Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14 for educators, school staff and child care workers, state agencies announced Friday.

The Delaware Department of Education will extend invitations for the event to those who have expressed interest in vaccination.

Additionally, through a partnership between the federal government and Walgreens pharmacies, educators, school staff and child care workers can sign up for appointments at Walgreens to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To prioritize educator vaccinations in Delaware through March and in accordance with federal guidance, Walgreens will pause new vaccination appointments for other eligible populations.

Educators, school staff and child care workers can visit Walgreens.com to seek a vaccination appointment. Due to supply constraints, there are a limited number of appointments currently available. Several thousand appointments will be available starting next week, as Walgreens receives additional supply from the federal government. Educators, school staff, and child care workers will be notified when these additional appointments become available.

Gov. John Carney said the expansion of Delaware’s vaccination program is in line with President Joe Biden’s commitment to provide at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to school personnel by the end of March.

“We are building on our ongoing efforts to prioritize vaccinations for educators, school staff and child care workers across our state who have stepped up throughout this COVID-19 crisis,” said Gov. Carney in a statement.

“Our goal remains the same. We want to distribute this life-saving vaccine in a way that’s fast and fair. Until we can vaccinate enough Delawareans, let’s continue to follow the basic health precautions. Wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Stay vigilant.”

The DOE, in partnership with Albertsons Pharmacy, already has vaccinated more than 5,500 educators and school staff — roughly a third of those who expressed interest in vaccination. More than half of the 5,500 are fully vaccinated, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health.

More than 2,200 Delaware child care workers have also received at least their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

More than 16,000 educators and school personnel requested vaccination through DOE. Roughly 4,000 child care providers also requested vaccination.

Delaware has administered 253,535 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

The Delaware Division of Public Health and its partners have administered 253,535 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday at 11:59 p.m. The DPH has received 278,390 doses of the vaccine, plus an additional 52,115 doses through the Federal Pharmacy Program.

Case update

The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 hit a new yearly low for the third consecutive day, falling to 127 as of Thursday at 6 p.m. That is the lowest mark since Nov. 11 of last year.

Of those currently hospitalized, 15 are considered critical.

A total of 87,874 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to the DPH since March 11. The seven-day rolling average of new positive cases decreased to 256.7 cases per day, after there were 218 cases included in Friday’s report.

Nine newly announced deaths were reported by the DPH on Friday, all from a review of Vital Statistics records from December through February. This brings the total of COVID-19-related deaths to 1,453 in Delaware.

Variant discovered

The DPH announced Friday the first confirmed case of the COVID-19 variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351, in Delaware. This variant is the same one that was first discovered in South Africa in October and is also commonly referred to as the South African Variant.

Delaware now joins a list of 17 other states and jurisdictions reporting cases of the SA variant.

The case involved a New Castle County adult in their 50s who traveled outside of the country prior to testing positive for COVID-19, according to the DPH. The case was identified through routine surveillance of test specimens performed by the DPH laboratory.

In addition to the newly identified South African variant case, DPH has identified 12 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7, in Delaware through routine surveillance of test specimens. This variant is the same one that was first discovered in England in December and is also commonly referred to as the UK Variant.

The DPH said these cases include 11 adults ranging in age from 18 to 65, as well as a child under the age of 10. Eight individuals were from New Castle County and four were from Kent County.