By Tim Mastro

WILMINGTON — Gov. John Carney said the state will not require so-called “vaccine passports” to prove if an unmasked individual is truly fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when Delaware drops its mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on Friday.

“It is the honor system,” Gov. Carney said. “Otherwise you’ve got to suss out who is vaccinated and who is not and that’s just impractical.”

But the governor did say he is worried about some who could go maskless without actually being fully vaccinated.

“It does concern me that some who are not vaccinated will not wear masks when they’re in public and put others at risk,” Gov. Carney said. “They’re not putting people who are fully vaccinated at risk but they’re putting folks who are not vaccinated at risk.”

New guidelines take effect Friday at 8 a.m., which not only lift the mask mandate but also social distancing regulations for the fully vaccinated in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Delaware expands all capacity to 100%.

Those who are not fully vaccinated, including children not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, should continue to wear masks when they’re around others outside their immediate household, according to CDC guidance. Any child under 2 must not wear a face covering due to risk of suffocation.

An emergency order modification issued by Gov. Carney on Tuesday does require mask-wearing on public transit, on planes, in schools, in healthcare facilities and in congregate settings, such as prisons and homeless shelters.

The order also requires face coverings in state-owned buildings including Division of Motor Vehicles facilities, Delaware State Service Centers and the Carvel State Office Building.

All businesses do have the authority to continue to require masks if they wish and individuals are free to mask up when they see fit, said Delaware Division of Public Health director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

“Some people don’t really trust that others around might be vaccinated or they just want to set a good example for their children who are unable to be vaccinated,” Dr. Rattay said.

“I want to encourage people who choose not to wear a mask to not assume that those who do wear a mask are either against the vaccination or are unvaccinated. Just respect individuals who continue to choose to mask up.”

State officials continued to encourage Delawareans who haven’t being vaccinate to sign up for their shots  or check for the nearest pharmacies. If Delawareans are not yet vaccinated, they should continue to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“If you are not fully vaccinated, you should consider yourself at risk,” said Delaware Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Mask wearing is the most important thing you can do however distancing is also important. So you do want to continue to keep a distance if you’re not fully vaccinated. People need to make choices on their own. If they are at risk because they are not vaccinated, they need to pay attention to not just mask wearing but also social distancing.”

Gov. Carney cited Delaware’s improving COVID-19 statistics, which have been on a steady decline for about a month, for why the state felt comfortable following the CDC guidance.

The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases has decreased for 29 consecutive days and is down to 119.9 new cases per day, according to the DPH’s daily update on Tuesday, which reflects data as of Monday at 6 p.m.

COVID-19 hospitalizations hit a yearly low in the most recent report with 77. That is the fewest since Sept. 29, 2020.

The DPH reported 51% of all Delawareans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. The state has administered 847,746 doses of vaccine as of Monday at 11:59 p.m.