State expects 2,200 Delaware child care workers vaccinated by end of week

No timetable for when schools will be completely open

By Tim Mastro
Posted 3/2/21

WILMINGTON — More than one-third of Delaware educators and school staff members who requested a COVID-19 vaccine through the Department of Education have been vaccinated, Secretary of Education …

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State expects 2,200 Delaware child care workers vaccinated by end of week

No timetable for when schools will be completely open

Posted

WILMINGTON — More than one-third of Delaware educators and school staff members who requested a COVID-19 vaccine through the Department of Education have been vaccinated, Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said on Tuesday.

“We’re talking about everyone who might be interacting with students in our schools,” Ms. Bunting said. “From the bus drivers, to the teachers, to the paraprofessionals, to the people in the front offices, to nutrition workers, substitute teachers, anyone who might be coming into contact with our children. We know there has been concern about who is interacting with your child and we want people to be comfortable coming back to school.”

Ms. Bunting added that by the end of the week, the DOE expects to have given about 2,200 child care providers their first dose.

“We will continue this work until its finished,” Ms. Bunting said.

Gov. John Carney said there is still no timetable for when schools will be 100% open, due to social-distancing requirements — both in schools and on buses. Right now, the state recommends a hybrid model of some in-person learning and some remote learning.

“It’s an operational question, to enable schools and principals to be able to maintain the conditions within the classrooms,” Gov. Carney said. “Three- to six-feet distancing between and amongst students means fewer students in the classroom. Same thing on buses and transportation. The social-distancing requirements make it more difficult to have everyone back at school.”

The Delaware Division of Public Health is reporting a cumulative total of 978 positive COVID-19 cases among in-person students and an additional 837 cases among in-person school staff from Sept. 1 to Feb. 26 in its most recent school update.

Statewide, the DPH reported 122 overall new positives in its daily report on Tuesday, bringing Delaware’s total number of COVID-19 positive cases to 87,193 since March 11, using data as of Monday at 6 p.m.

Delaware’s seven-day average of new positive cases is at 281.7 new cases per day — down from more than 300 two weeks ago and more than 450 a month ago. That number peaked at 822.4 new cases per day on Jan. 4 and has been on a downward trend since then.

The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in Delaware remained unchanged compared to the day prior, at 151. That is tied for the second-lowest total in 2021. Of those currently hospitalized, 18 cases are considered critical, according to the DPH.

The DPH reported four additional COVID-19-related deaths in Tuesday’s update, increasing the COVID-19-related death toll to 1,426. The four deaths ranged in age from 68 to 76 years old.

Two were New Castle County residents while one each was from Kent County and Sussex County. None were residents of a long-term care center, keeping the number of COVID-19-related deaths in long-term care facilities at 697 (49%).

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