By Tim Mastro

DOVER — The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in Delaware surpassed 50 for the first time since June 2.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reported 53 hospitalizations in Wednesday’s update — an increase of eight compared to the day prior. Nine of the 53 hospitalizations are considered critical, the DPH said.

Hospitalizations were at a pandemic-low on June 26 with 14 but have been on the upswing since then. Positive cases have increased as well with Delaware’s daily average at 124.4 cases per day over the last week — the most since May 14.

The delta variant has caused cases throughout the country to spike. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday the delta variant accounted for more than 93% of all new COVID-19 cases in the country over the last two weeks of July.

The board of trustees of the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians issued a recent statement regarding the rise in COVID-19 cases and encouraging vaccinations.

“Due to the increasing prevalence of the delta variant in Delaware, the Board of Directors of the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians strongly encourages our citizens to receive the COVID vaccination,” the statement read. “For the overwhelming majority of patients 12 years of age and older, the vaccine is safe and effective, and the easiest way to slow down the spread of the delta variant.

It advised the following acts to help stop the spread of the virus: practice social distancing when possible, wear a mask in public places, get tested if feeling sick and washing or sanitizing hands frequently.

“By doing these things, you will significantly lessen the burden on our health care professionals and system and help ensure our communities are healthy and safe,” it said.

The delta variant is the most contagious COVID-19 mutation so far in the pandemic, the CDC said, but COVID-19 vaccines still provide strong protection against it. Nearly all hospitalizations and deaths have been among the unvaccinated.

It’s not yet clear if the delta variant makes people sicker. But experts say it spreads more easily because of mutations that make it better at latching onto cells in our bodies.

The delta variant, first detected in India, has quickly become dominant wherever it has landed, including the U.S. and Delaware. It made up 51% of the variant strains found through routine surveillance of test specimens at the DPH’s lab last week.

Viruses constantly mutate, and most changes aren’t concerning. But the worry is that unchecked spread could fuel mutations and produce a variant that’s even more contagious, causes more severe illness or evades the protection that vaccines provide.

It’s why experts say making vaccines accessible globally is so critical. And they note the importance of being fully vaccinated; getting just one dose of the two-dose vaccines isn’t as protective against the delta variant.

The DPH reported 124 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Wednesday’s update, bringing the state’s total to 111,884. Kent County recorded 46 cases, which was its most in a single day since May 2.

According to the CDC’s vaccine tracker, 72.9% of Delaware adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This number includes Delawareans vaccinated in other states and vaccination done at sites such as Dover Air Force Base and Veterans Affairs offices, who do not report their data to the DPH.

There have been 1,063,633 doses of vaccine administered in Delaware, according to the DPH’s tracker, and 520,582 individuals have been fully vaccinated in Delaware. A list of vaccination sites is available here.

The DPH reported no new COVID-19-related deaths in Wednesday’s update, as that number remained at 1,833.

Editor's note: The Associated Press contribued to this article.