By Tim Mastro

WILMINGTON — Loosened COVID-19 restrictions will allow more students to board school buses, which should allow more students to return to in-person instruction starting this summer, state officials said Wednesday.

Beginning with summer programming, schools should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on school buses when transporting students, according to an order by Gov. John Carney. The CDC advises schools to create distance between children on school buses when possible, and to follow masking and other COVID-19 safety precautions.

This update is a change from the current restriction that requires schools to maintain a minimum of 3 feet of distance between students on a bus, which has resulted in a 23-person cap on school buses.

Gov. Carney’s order on Wednesday was the 28th modification to the state of emergency order. The order also eliminates most business capacity restrictions beginning on May 21 which formalizes changes originally announced last week.

The loosening of restrictions comes as Delaware is experiencing lower COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reported 95 hospitalizations in Wednesday’s update, reflecting data as of Tuesday at 6 p.m. That is the lowest hospitalizations have been since March 14. Hospitalizations peaked at 180 on April 21 during a slight surge which lasted from late March to the end of April.

Delaware’s seven-day rolling average for percentage of positive tests is down to 4.1% — nearly a full percentage point below the World Health Organization’s recommended mark of 5%. The state has averaged 152.3 new COVID-19 cases per day over the last seven days which is the lowest mark since Oct. 29, 2020.

“Delawareans have worked together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, and we still have more work to do,” Gov. Carney said in a statement. “But we have the tools to prevent severe illness and hospitalization.”

He urged Delawareans to get vaccinated and  find vaccine locations.

“Ask your friends and family if they’ve gotten their shot,” he said. “That’s the best thing you can do to protect yourself and those you love.”

On May 21 at 8 a.m. the following guidelines will be in place per Carney’s most recent order:

• All capacity restrictions inside restaurants, retail, gyms, other business establishments and houses of worship will be lifted. Facilities can use as much capacity as social distancing requirements will allow.

• Masks will still be required indoors to prevent spread of COVID-19.

• Outdoors, Delawareans should follow masking guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk for COVID-19 spread increases in large crowds that include unvaccinated people. In those cases, the CDC recommends that everyone continue to wear a mask.

• Social distancing requirements will move from 6 feet to 3 feet.

• Customers must continue to remain seated indoors and outdoors at bars and restaurants unless a plan for dance floors and other areas is approved by DPH.

• Events over 250 people indoors and outdoors will still require plan approval from DPH to ensure compliance with basic precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Delaware has administered 821,086 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., and 55.5% of Delawareans 16 years old or older have received at least one dose.

There have been 377,617 total persons vaccinated in Delaware, including 339,904 Delawareans. An additional 101,728 individuals, 91,721 of which are Delawareans, are partially vaccinated as they have received their first dose of a two-dose series and are awaiting a second dose. Non-residents are eligible for vaccination in Delaware if they either work in Delaware or receive their healthcare in the state.