Former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell President Joe Biden has appointed former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell to head the country’s efforts to resettle Afghan refugees. Markell, w ho was governor from 2009 to 2017, will officially be called the White House Operation Allies Welcome coordinator, according to a story in the Washington Post. It is a temporary position expected to conclude …
Legislative leaders spar over mask protests at school board meetings
Delaware legislators issued dueling press statements about people opposing the school mask mandate. Photo by Vera Davidova/Unsplash Democratic members of the Delaware Senate Education Committee lashed out Wednesday night, calling vocal protesters at school board meetings opposing the state mask mandate “immature and irresponsible.” “Our schools and our children’s education should not be held hostage by a vocal minority …
State, courts, Firefly say masks, vaccines, tests mandatory as Delta rises
Photo by Mika Baumeister/Unsplash As new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continued to rise, Gov. John Carney, the state, Delaware courts and Firefly Music Festival made a lot of moves. Carney said schoolchildren must wear masks indoors and that state employees and workers at long-term care facilities and healthcare facilities must be vaccinated or be tested weekly for the coronvavirus. …
Moms say they will keep kids home rather than send to school masked
Some Delaware parents say they will keep their children out of classrooms rather than send them wearing a mask. Some parents who oppose Gov. John Carney’s mandate requiring school children and those in childcare to wear masks indoors say they will not send their kids back to school. “For my kid personally, it’s not good for his mental …
State to mandate masks in all schools, state facilities; more rules to come
Delaware will require all school teachers, students and staff to wear masks indoors, even for sports. Gov. John Carney said Tuesday that masks must be worn in all public, private and parochial schools, as well as childcare homes and centers for those over the age of 2.. Carney also said state employees and visitors to state facilities must …
New COVID-19 cases continue climb as Delta variant spreads
Many libraries say they are out of the Abbott at-home COVID-19 test kits that they were giving away this week. Delaware’s new COVID-19 cases continue to climb, with an average of 147 new cases on Thursday, That’s up from 20 new cases a day on June 20, the low point before the Delta variant began to prey on the …
State urges unvaccinated to take shots to protect economy, schools
As the number of COVID-19 cases rise dramatically, Delaware officials on Thursday asked the unvaccinated to be immunized to protect themselves and others. Gov. John Carney said he is considering requiring state employees to be vaccinated and mulling options to implement mandatory face masks in schools. Carney and Rattay held a public briefing on COVID-19 in Delaware. The Delta …
State tells unvaccinated people to test weekly; testing kits now at libraries
This Abbott Laboratories at-home COVID-19 test kit is available at Delaware libraries. The state of Delaware is recommending that unvaccinated people get tested weekly for the COVID-19 virus. In a press release issued Tuesday, the state also said those who are not vaccinated should be tested five to seven days after being exposed to someone with COVID-19 and that they …
Mom’s efforts to change law means homeschooled kids get more services
Three years ago, as their daughter was about to enter kindergarten, Megan and Buddy Willey learned young Caroline would no longer qualify for speech therapy through the school district. The Bridgeville family homeschools their children, two of whom require the services of a speech pathologist. State law allows all children to receive federally funded speech therapy through the …
Carney hasn’t made any decisions after CDC’s mask flip-flop
Delaware Gov. John Carney is studying this week’s Centers for Disease Control recommendation that everyone wear masks indoors in areas where the Delta variant of COVID is spreading. But he has announced no changes or updates. In Delaware, the number of new COVID-19 infections has jumped to 72 new cases a day now from 20 a day in late …