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DEMA gets $85.6 million from FEMA for COVID testing, reporting

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Health

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday that $85.6 million in federal funds have been made available for reimbursement of COVID-19 testing and reporting costs. The funds, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will reimburse the state agency for emergency protective measure costs incurred between Oct. 12, 2020 and Sept. 12, 2021. According to DEMA, approximately $3.08 million of …

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USGS finds PFAS in untreated well water throughout Delaware

Charles MegginsonHeadlines, Health

The U.S. Geological Survey announced Wednesday that forever chemicals known as PFAS have been found in untreated well water throughout Delaware. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of more than 4,000 manmade chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, fluoropolymer coatings can …

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Dem. bill would guarantee health insurance for undocumented children

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Health

Left: Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax. Right: Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North. Democratic lawmakers plan to file a bill in the General Assembly Friday that would guarantee health insurance for all Delaware children who are not otherwise covered, including undocumented immigrant children. House Bill 317, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North, would direct the Department …

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Delaware mask mandate to expire Friday, Feb. 11

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Health

Gov. Carney’s universal indoor mask mandate will expire Friday, Feb. 11/Getty Images Delaware’s universal indoor mask mandate will expire at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 11. Gov. John Carney on Monday revised the State of Emergency order citing the sharp decrease in cases since the height of the omicron variant surge. While masks will no longer be required inside many …

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Highmark clients can get free COVID-19 tests at pharmacies

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

Abbott Laboratories’ home COVID-19 testing kit is among those available at area drug stores, when in stock.   People who have Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance can pick up a COVID-19 test at any in-network pharmacy without having to pay for it, the company announced Monday. Highmark is complying with an order by the Biden administration that insurance …

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DBCC’s Young Survivors in Action promotes meditation and meaningful activity during and after breast cancer treatments

Terry RogersHealth

Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) understands that every breast cancer survivor needs methods for staying upbeat, healthy and motivated. This is especially true of women who are diagnosed at a young age. For this reason, they offer DBCC’s Young Survivors in Action, a program which is designed to connect, support, and empower young women diagnosed with breast cancer. “Recently, DBCC’s …

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COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations continue to drop in Delaware

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continued to decline this week in Delaware. As of Thursday, Jan. 27, the Delaware Division of Public Health said the state has had a 57% decrease in the seven-day average of new positive cases reported since the peak of the surge on Jan. 12, 2022. It also reported: The total number of …

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Bayhealth to require vaccines for all staff

Terry RogersHealth

by Terry Rogers     Bayhealth is now requiring all employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine under new federal regulations As many hospitals began requiring all staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19, Bayhealth was one of the few healthcare systems who allowed their staff to either be vaccinated or submit to weekly tests under the recommended CDC guidelines. With a …

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Medical aid in dying bill narrowly advances to House floor

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines, Health

A bill to allow mentally competent adult patients with terminal illnesses to request a prescription for life-ending medications was narrowly released from the House Health and Human Development Committee Tuesday.  The practice is often referred to by supporters as “right to die” or “death with dignity” and by opponents as “physician-assisted suicide.”  “Medical aid in dying” is a neutral term …

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Cannabis edibles to debut in Delaware in weeks

Charles MegginsonBusiness, Headlines, Health

The First State Compassion cannabis kitchen team at the company’s new facility in Wilmington. A Delaware-based medical marijuana company that has opened a state-of-the-art cannabis edible kitchen in Wilmington expects to bring a new line of THC-infused consumables to market in the coming weeks.  First State Compassion was Delaware’s first licensed medical marijuana distribution center and operates the state’s largest …