DOVER (Dec. 18, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing an update on the most recent statistics related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Delaware, as of 6 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2020.

A total of 49,109 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to DPH since March 11, 2020 The number of new daily cases each day this week has remained elevated with a seven-day average of 763.9 as of Thursday, Dec. 17.

The seven-day average for the percentage of persons who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased from 22.9% as of Dec. 10 to 21.9% as of Thursday, Dec. 17. DPH publishes both positivity rates – persons tested and total tests conducted – on its COVID-19 data portal. As of Tuesday, Dec. 15, the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests that were positive was 9.7%, which represents the same percentage as of Tuesday, Dec. 8. There is a two-day lag for presenting data related to percent of tests that are positive to account for the time delay between the date of the test and the date that DPH receives the test result.

In addition, 407 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, an increase of 44 from the total as of last Friday’s update. Sixty-eight of the hospitalized persons are critically ill, up 19 from last week.

A total of 854 Delawareans have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The state reported 47 additional deaths since last week’s update, including eight as a result of a review of Vital Statistics records. The total number of individuals who have died from COVID-19 ranges in age from 21 to 104 years old. Of those who have died, 433 were female and 421 were male. A total of 421 individuals were from New Castle County, 151 were from Kent County, and 282 were from Sussex County.

To protect personal health information, DPH will not confirm specific information about any individual case, even if other persons or entities disclose it independently.

Additional Updates

New Walgreens Locations Added to State’s Permanent COVID-19 Testing Sites: The State of Delaware will expand its partnership with Walgreens, adding eight new drive-through COVID-19 testing sites across the state. Four testing sites opened Wednesday, Dec. 16, and the remaining four will open Monday, Dec. 21. The new testing sites include:

Opened Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020:
• 2121 Kirkwood Hwy., Wilmington, DE 19805, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday
• 500 Plaza Drive, Newark, DE 19702, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday
• 5999 Summit Bridge Road, Townsend, DE 19734, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday
• 2480 S. Dupont Hwy., Camden, DE 19934, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday.

Opening Monday, Dec. 21, 2020:
• 2012 Brackenville Road, Hockessin, DE 19707, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday.
• 536 Main St., Wilmington (Stanton), DE 19804, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday
• 19 Marrows Road, Newark, DE 19713, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday
• 372 Possum Park Road, Newark, DE 19711, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday

These new sites are in addition to 14 testing sites operated by Walgreens, as well as 11 other permanent testing sites – five State Service Center sites and six Public Health clinics – available throughout the state. Pop-up testing sites continue to be offered each week as well. The full list of testing locations, hours, and registration options are available on Delaware’s COVID-19 website at de.gov/gettested.

Update on COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-term Care Facilities: The Division of Public Health continues to investigate COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities throughout the state. The following facilities have experienced significant outbreaks since late September. Resident and staff tallies represent cumulative case totals between Sept. 25, 2020, and Dec. 17, 2020:

• Cadia Healthcare Silverside in Wilmington; 51 residents and 43 staff members.
• Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington; 74 residents and 46 staff
• Lofland Park in Seaford, 19 residents and 17 staff
• Cadia Healthcare Capitol in Dover; 45 residents and 26 staff
• Delmar Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delmar; 38 residents and 34 staff
• The Moorings at Lewes in Lewes; 15 residents and 36 staff
• Oak Bridge Terrace at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin; 15 residents and 13 staff
• Brookdale in Dover; 58 residents and 33 staff
• Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow in Newark; 16 residents and 21 staff
• Churchman Village in Newark, 49 residents and 28 staff
• Foulk Manor South in Wilmington; 25 residents and 26 staff
• Hillside Center in Wilmington; 21 residents and 14 staff
• Kutz Senior Living in Wilmington, 12 residents and 15 staff
• Regal Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Hockessin, 67 residents and 23 staff
• Westminster Village in Dover; 42 residents and 20 staff
• Brandywine Assisted Living at Seaside in Rehoboth Beach; 39 residents and 15 staff
• Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare in Milford; 24 residents and 14 staff
• Seaford Center Nursing Home in Seaford; 14 residents and 15 staff
• Harrison House Senior Living in Georgetown; 12 residents and 12 staff
• WillowBrooke Court Skilled Center at Manor House in Seaford; 32 residents and 24 staff

*Staff members may include health care and non-health care personnel, such as facility vendors or other individuals working in the long-term care facility who may not be full-time facility employees. As facility outbreak investigations close, they will be removed from this list.

Delaware COVID-19 Data:
The latest Delaware COVID-19 case statistics* cumulatively since March 11, provided as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, include:

• 49,109 total positive cases
• New Castle County cases: 28,235
• Kent County cases: 7,676
• Sussex County cases: 13,079
• Unknown County: 119
• Females: 26,129; Males: 22,902; Unknown Sex: 78
• Age range: 0 to 104
• Currently hospitalized: 407; Critically ill: 68 (This data represents individuals currently hospitalized in a Delaware hospital regardless of residence, and is not cumulative.)
• 428,997 negative cases**
• 882,919 total tests administered as of Dec. 15, 2020
*Data are provisional and subject to change.
**Data on negative cases are preliminary, based on negative results reported to DPH by state and commercial laboratories performing analysis.

Aggregate K-12 School-Related COVID-19 Statistics:
The Division of Public Health is providing statewide aggregate data on the total number of COVID-19 positive cases among students and staff who were in-person at a school or child care facility while potentially infectious, reported to DPH since Sept. 1, 2020. To determine the start of the infectious period, or when others may have been exposed to someone infectious, DPH looks 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms or 48 hours prior to testing for those individuals who had no symptoms. These data only indicate potential exposure to COVID-19 in these settings, not whether exposure actually occurred. Please note, these figures do not indicate that the infections were caused from being in the school setting.

Total number of COVID-19 positive students and staff, statewide, who were in-person at a school or child care facility while potentially infectious, reported to DPH between Sept. 1, 2020, and Dec. 16, 2020**:

Long-term Care Statistics:
Information related to positive cases and deaths among residents at long-term care facilities will be updated weekly each Friday, using information reported as of 6 p.m. Thursday. There have been a total of 1,769 positive COVID-19 cases cumulatively involving long-term care residents, and 463 residents of Delaware long-term care facilities have died from complications related to COVID-19.

The locations and number of deaths involving residents of long-term care facilities are:
• Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation and Health Center, Millsboro (18)
• Brackenville Center, Genesis Healthcare, Hockessin (18)
• Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (34)
• Brandywine Living at Seaside Pointe, Rehoboth Beach (3)
• Brookdale Dover, Dover (2)
• Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow, Middletown (11)
• Cadia Healthcare Capitol, Dover (18)
• Cadia Healthcare Renaissance, Millsboro (9)
• Cadia Healthcare North Wilmington/Silverside, Wilmington (24)
• Country Rest Home, Greenwood (11)
• Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, Smyrna (13)
• Foulk Manor South, Wilmington (2)
• Forwood Manor, Wilmington (2)
• Governor Bacon Health Center, Delaware City (1)
• HarborChase of Wilmington, Wilmington (4)
• Harbor Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Lewes (23)
• Harrison House Senior Living, Georgetown (43)
• Hillside Center, Wilmington (3)
• Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Wilmington (8)
• Kutz Senior Living, Wilmington (2)
• Little Sisters of the Poor, Newark (11)
• Lofland Park Center, Genesis Healthcare, Seaford (6)
• ManorCare Health Services, Wilmington (13)
• ManorCare Health Services, Pike Creek (23)
• Methodist Country House, Wilmington (4)
• Millcroft, Newark (2)
• Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare, Milford (38)
• New Castle Health and Rehabilitation Center, New Castle (12)
• Newark Manor Nursing Home, Newark (11)
• Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation, Wilmington (26)
• Pinnacle Rehabilitation and Health Center, Smyrna (24)
• Regal Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Hockessin (9)
• Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (7)
• Summit Assisted Living, Hockessin (3)
• Sunrise Assisted Living, Wilmington (2)
• The Moorings at Lewes, Lewes (4)
• Westminster Village, Dover (12)
• Five other New Castle County long-term care facilities (1 death at each facility)
• One other Kent County long-term care facility (1 death at this facility)
• One other Sussex County long-term care facility (1 death at this facility)

Additional demographic data on COVID-19 cases and deaths, including race/ethnicity, more age-specific data and rates information by ZIP code, and information on Delaware’s contact tracing efforts can be found at de.gov/healthycommunity.

If you are sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or headache or congestion or runny nose without a known cause such as allergies. Other symptoms such as abdominal pain or lack of appetite have been identified as potential symptoms related to COVID-19 and may prompt further screening, action or investigation by a primary care provider. If you are sick and need essential supplies, ask someone else to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy to get what you need.

If you believe you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have symptoms of illness, make sure to distance yourself from others, particularly vulnerable populations. Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions – including serious heart conditions, chronic lung conditions, including moderate to severe asthma, severe obesity and those who are immunocompromised, including through cancer treatment – may have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Information about testing events, including community testing sites, permanent fixed testing sites, and free-standing sites operated by the health care systems and hospitals, will be listed on the testing section of the Delaware coronavirus website at: coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/.

Delawareans over the age of 18 are encouraged to download COVID Alert DE, Delaware’s free exposure notification app to help protect your neighbors while ensuring your privacy. Download on the App Store or Google Play.

DPH has set up a Vaccine Call Center at 302-672-6150. People who are deaf and hard of hearing should call 2-1-1 or text their ZIP code to 898-211. Individuals can email their questions concerning the vaccine to Vaccine@Delaware.gov and visit de.gov/covidvaccine for more information.

Individuals with general questions about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211, or email delaware211@uwde.org. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov. Questions regarding unemployment claims should be emailed to: UIClaims@delaware.gov.

DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.

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