New COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Rise As State Says It's Found 49 Variant Cases

The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Delaware are creeping up as the state has identified 49 variant cases believed to be more infectious than the strain that swept the world in March 2020.

Last week’s stats

The Delaware Division of Public Health said Monday that 94,062 Delwareans have tested positive since March 2020 and 1,536 Delawareans died from it.

The seven-day average of new positive cases increased to 235.1 (It was 255 Monday, with 372 new cases Monday). The average had been below 200 just two weeks ago, before St. Patrick’s Day parties took place and sunny weather brought people out in droves.

The seven-day average for the percentage of persons testing positive also grew to 20.2%, up from last week’s 17.1%, with the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests at 4.5%, up from 3.9% a week before.

The state said Monday that 128 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, up 12 from Friday. Thirteen are critically ill.

The variants

The state said on Friday that it has identified six strains of COVID-19, including two from New York, that have appeared in Delaware. All of them are on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of variants to watch for.

They include these “variants of concern:”

United Kingdom, B.1.1.7 — 17 cases in Delaware.
South Africa, B.1.351 — 1 case
California, B.1.427 — 2 cases
California, B.1.429 — 5 cases

They also include these “variants of interest:”

New York, B.1.525 — 1
New York, B.1.526 — 23

The state said the cases involve 47 adults ranging in age from 18-74, and two people under the age of 18. Thirty-five are from New Castle County, eight from Kent and six from Sussex County.

The cases were found in routine lab surveillance. The Delaware Public Health Laboratory has sequenced 1,152 specimens for COVID-19 variant strains to date, including 92 within the past week.

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COVID-19 Vaccinations

As Monday morning, 433,516 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been put in Delaware residents’ arms, with 152,054 people fully vaccinated.

The state said 420,970 doses have been delivered to the state, with 91,265 doses delivered as part of the federal provider programs.

Delaware hopes to get much larger shipments of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the next 10 days, and health officials expect the numbers of those vaccinated to rise sharply.

New rules for nursing home visits

The state updated the guidelines for visits to long-term care facilities, saying indoor visits are generally OK with a few exceptions, but outdoor visits are preferred.

Carney to get vaccine

Gov. John Carney will receive his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Sunday, March 28, at the State of Delaware’s vaccination event at Dover International Speedway and speak to the media after it.

The state is using the U.S. Department of Emergency Management vaccine site to try and drive as many people through as possible before the site has to be shut down for other Speedway events.

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Test sites week of March 29

New Castle County

Monday, March 29 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Frawley Stadium (801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Tuesday, March 30 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Wilmington University Rt. 13 (320 N. Dupont Highway, New Castle) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Tuesday, March 30 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.: University of Delaware Hollingsworth Lot (61 North College Ave., Newark) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Wednesday, March 31 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.: ChristianaCare Hospital, Wilmington 601 Parking Lot (601 Delaware Ave., Wilmington) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Wednesday, March 31 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Henrietta Johnson Medical Center (601 New Castle Ave., Wilmington) Register by calling 302-655-6187
Wednesday, March 31 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Middletown High School (120 Silver Lake Road, Middletown) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Warner Elementary School (801 W. 18^th St., Wilmington) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 11 am to 3 p.m.: Merchant Square Shopping Center (Governor Printz) (4307 Governor Printz Blvd., Wilmington) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Henrietta Johnson Medical Center (601 New Castle Ave., Wilmington) Register by calling 302-655-6187
Friday, April 2 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: University of Delaware Laird Campus Lot #6 (David Hollowell Drive, Newark) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3 from 10 p.m. – 2 p.m.: Westside Healthcare (Indoor Walk Up -1802 W. 4^th St., Wilmington) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Biblical Mission of Covenant Church: (60 Fir. Ave., Bear)
Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: University of Delaware STAR Campus (540 S. College Ave., Newark) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Henrietta Johnson Medical Center (601 New Castle Ave., Wilmington) Register by calling 302-655-6187

Kent County

Monday, March 29 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Clayton Fire Co. (300 East St., Clayton) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Tuesday, March 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: First Pilgrim Baptist Church (27 S. Caesar Rodney Ave., Camden) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Wednesday, March 31 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Caesar Rodney High School (239 Old North Road, Camden) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Slaughter Neck Community Center (22942 Slaughter Neck Road, Lincoln) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Friday, April 2 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Hartly Fire Company (2898 Arthursville Road, Hartly) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: New Beginnings African Methodist Episcopal Church (99 Jackson St., Frederica)

Sussex County

Monday, March 29 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Epworth UM Church (19285 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Wednesday, March 31 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Laurel Elementary School (815 South, North Central Ave., Laurel) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Wednesday, March 31 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Indian River High School (29772 Armory Road, Dagsboro) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Selbyville Fire Co. (30 N. Main St., Selbyville) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Thursday, April 1 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Blades Fire Co. (200 E. 5^th St., Blades) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: African American Methodist Episcopal Church (194 Clayton Ave., Frankford).
Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Rehoboth City Hall (229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com
Saturday, April 3 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center (400 Governors Ave., Greenwood) Register: delaware.curativeinc.com