DOVER (Feb. 25, 2021) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has issued a new order related to requirements around second dose administration by providers. The order, signed by DPH on Feb. 23, requires health care/vaccination providers to administer the second dose of a two-dose series to persons who received a first dose from them, if requested. It further indicates that administration of the second dose shall be a higher priority than administration of a first dose to an unvaccinated person if vaccine supply is not sufficient to accomplish both.

Health care/vaccination providers shall also be required to administer a second dose to patients of record who have been administered the first dose by a different provider. A second order, signed Feb. 25, requires vaccination providers to report inventory daily to Vaccine Finder, a national web-based system that allows providers to report levels of supply.

Failure to comply with these orders may result in a fine between $100 and $1,000 per day. Repeated failure to comply may result in cessation of vaccine distribution to the non-compliant provider. The second-dose order can be found at https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2021/02/Vaccine-Order-02-23-21.pdf. If vaccine supply is insufficient, no provider shall be penalized for failure to follow the requirements. The order to report vaccine inventory can be found at https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2021/02/VaccineFinder-Order-02.25.21.pdf.

In addition to the order, DPH has summarized existing provider vaccination requirements. The requirements and specific penalties for non-compliance can be found at:
https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2021/02/Vaccination-Requirements_2.25.21.pdf

• Reporting Vaccination Administrations – Health care providers or other vaccinating providers who administer immunizations shall report information about the immunization and the person to whom it was given, to DelVAX within 24 hours of administering the dose. The Division of Public Health emphasizes the importance of recording race and ethnicity in order to evaluate efforts to vaccinate underserved populations. Race and ethnicity need to be complete and accurate. Continued provision of additional vaccine will be contingent upon compliance with data reporting requirements.

• Reporting Unused Vaccine – The health care/vaccination provider must report the number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine and adjuvants that were unused, spoiled, expired, or wasted.

• Requirements for Reporting Adverse Events – Health care/vaccination providers must report any adverse events following vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) (1-800-822-7967 or http://vaers.hhs.gov/contact.html).

• Administering Vaccine to Priority Populations – Vaccinations shall be made available only to persons who meet current criteria for administration per Delaware’s vaccine allocation timeline (https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/vaccine/). Exceptions are authorized for the purpose of preventing waste or spoilage of vaccine only if vaccine has already been constituted for injection and the vaccinator is unable to locate any person who meets the current criteria and is willing to receive vaccination.

• Equitable Access and Ability to Pay – Health care/vaccination providers are prohibited from denying administration of a COVID-19 vaccination for reasons of race, color, gender, ethnicity, disability, national origin, or any other protected status. Further, health care/vaccination providers must make vaccinations available regardless of a person’s ability to pay, type of health insurance, administration fees, or participation in a particular provider or network. While providers may seek reimbursement from a health insurance plan, they may not seek any out-of-pocket costs from the vaccine recipient.

DPH has created a pathway for the public to submit complaints if they believe a vaccination provider is violating any of the requirements mentioned. They can email complaints to hspcontact@delaware.gov. Additionally, any health care provider who intentionally or willfully provides or distributes, or who supervises someone who intentionally or willfully provides or distributes the COVID-19 vaccine to any individual who is not authorized to receive such vaccine pursuant to the Vaccination Guidance is guilty of unprofessional conduct as that term is defined in Title 24 and may be subject to licensure discipline. Complaints regarding such conduct should be made to the Division of Professional Regulation at https://delpros.delaware.gov/OH_FileComplaint.

Additional information about COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available at de.gov/covidvaccine. Questions can be directed to the Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715. People who are deaf or 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.

DOVER, DE – The Delaware Tourism Office is launching the Destination Development Program, an incubator and workshop training program for the state’s tourism industry.

To assist small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have limited time, staff and resources, this program will provide resources to empower small business owners and non-profit organizations to develop and promote their tourism assets.

The Destination Development Program includes a business incubator that will provide participants with a free guided program of business development resources and assistance from national travel and tourism marketing experts.

Three tourism-related businesses or nonprofit organizations, one in each of Delaware’s three counties, will be chosen for the incubator program.

“Delaware tourism destinations have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Delaware Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “This program from the Delaware Tourism Office builds on the resources the state is providing during this challenging time to industries like tourism that have a substantial impact on the economy.”

In addition to the incubator, DTO will offer free training workshops for 15 professionals working for tourism-related businesses or nonprofits, five in each county.

Applications for the incubator and workshop programs are now available and must be submitted no later than March 15. Information can be found at VisitDelaware.com/DDP.

“In the ever-changing landscape of online marketing and at a time of severe budget and staffing constraints in the industry, the Destination Development Program aims to provide the tools and resources to help tourism-related businesses and organizations better reach potential travelers,” Liz Keller, Delaware Tourism Office Director, said. “Our goal is for participants to learn from this program how to develop sustainable marketing programs that can help them for years to come.”

The workshops will provide participants with the tools and ongoing support for tourism professionals to develop and implement a robust communications and marketing strategy. Over the course of six months, participants will learn at sessions on a new topic each month led by subject matter experts from a top marketing agency. The training also includes one-on-one follow-up sessions to expand on that month’s topic.

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Media contact
Michael Chesney
Delaware Tourism Office
(302) 943-9508
Michael.Chesney@delaware.gov

About 2,500 Delaware child care providers will have the opportunity to be vaccinated this Saturday through a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination event at Dover International Speedway.  The event is a partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health and Human Services (HHS), Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), and the Dover International Speedway (DIS).

“Delaware’s child care providers have been vital to our state, our families, and our children throughout this pandemic, staying open to provide care to our children so other frontline workers could serve our state,” said Governor John Carney.  “We are grateful for their work and are pleased we can vaccinate them so they can continue to serve our youngest learners.”

The Delaware Department of Education has worked to help vaccinate more than 4,000 K-12 personnel and roughly 700 child care providers to date.

“Our child care providers and K12 employees are providing essential services to children across Delaware. We are pleased to be making progress in offering these frontline workers the chance to be vaccinated and will continue to work until everyone has had this opportunity,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said.

This is an invitation-only event.  A registration link was sent to child care providers earlier today. Anyone seeking vaccination through this event must provide proof of active employment in a licensed Delaware child care center or home.

Those vaccinated Saturday at the drive-thru event will receive their second doses through a similar future event.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

DOVER (Feb. 25, 2021) – Individuals who received their first dose of COVID-19 28 or more days ago from a pharmacy, medical provider, clinic or other source in Delaware and have not yet obtained a second dose may sign up for a Friday appointment at the ongoing vaccination event at Dover International Speedway operated by the State of Delaware and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Those in the new eligibility window should make their appointments for Friday, before 6 p.m. Thursday. This is a wider eligibility window than announced earlier this week.

Those being vaccinated will need to demonstrate with their vaccination card that they received their first dose on or before January 29. These vaccinations are for individuals who live, work or obtain their health care in Delaware, and received their first dose in Delaware.

Many recipients vaccinated at the FEMA event have reported the whole process, including registration, vaccination and the post-vaccination observation period, taking 30 to 45 minutes from when they arrive to when they leave.

Scheduling under the new eligibility for these second-dose appointments opened at 10 a.m. today at de.gov/fema. Those without Internet access may call DPH at 1-833-643-1715, but wait time may be lengthy based on call volume and online registration is urged.

Individuals will have an option to create an appointment for someone else after they create their own. However, the appointments are expected to fill quickly and people may not be able to make family appointments for the same time frame. A single email may be tied to multiple appointments. Everyone who arrives to be vaccinated must have an appointment.

Visitors can access the vaccination site via Dover International Speedway’s Leipsic Road entrance. To reduce waiting, those with appointments will be urged not to show up early. Just in case, those arriving at the site need to ensure:

• • You enter the Speedway grounds via 1000 Leipsic Road, not the main entrance from Route 13.
  • You have personal identification (a driver’s licenses or photo ID).
  • Proof of first COVID-19 vaccination (vaccination card).
  • Confirmation of your appointment.

Additional information about COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available at de.gov/covidvaccine. Questions can be directed to the Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715. People who are deaf or 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.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces to motorists that the final preparations to shift traffic to the I-95 Rehabilitation Phase 1 traffic pattern will require various closures on I-95 Northbound through Wilmington from Thursday, February 25 through Saturday, February 27, 2021.

Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes such as SR 2, SR 141, I-495 or US 13 to reach their destination. For additional information for the I-95 Corridor Project, please visit www.restorethecorridor.com.

TIMES AND DATES:

Thursday February 25, 10 PM until 5 AM Friday, February 26
• FULL CLOSURE, I-95 NB from the I-495 Split to US 202 Interchange
• CLOSED, Martin Luther King Boulevard WB to I-95 NB & SB

Friday February 26, 5AM until 10 PM:
• REDUCED LANE CAPACITY, I-95 NB from I-495 Split to US 202 Interchange
• OPEN, Exit 6 I-95 NB off-ramp to MLK Boulevard
• OPEN, Exit 7 I-95 NB off-ramp to Delaware Avenue
• OPEN, 10th St./Adams St. on-ramp to I-95 NB
• OPEN, Adams St./Delaware Ave. on-ramp to I-95NB

Friday February 26, 10 PM until 6:00 AM Saturday February 27
• FULL CLOSURE, I-95 NB between I-495 Split and US 202 Interchange
• CLOSED, Exit 6 I-95 NB off-ramp to MLK Boulevard
• CLOSED, Exit 7 I-95 NB off-ramp to Delaware Avenue
• CLOSED, 10th St./Adams St. I-95 NB on-ramp (see Detour to I-95N on-ramp at Delaware Ave/Adams St. below)
• OPEN, Adams St./ Delaware Ave. on-ramp to I-95 NB

Saturday, February 27, 6:00 AM:
• I-95 NB AND SB TRAFFIC IN ‘CONTRA-FLOW’ PHASE 1 TRAFFIC PATTERN (reduced lanes I-95 NB and SB)
• OPEN – All I-95 Southbound On- and Off-Ramps
• OPEN – “New” I-95 NB Exit to MLK Boulevard Eastbound
• OPEN – I-95 NB On-Ramp from Delaware Ave./Adams St. (adjustments to the ramp alignment to be done at a later date)

Detour signage will be posted. Motorists traveling through Delaware will be directed to use I-495 NB, motorists going into Wilmington will be directed to use I-495 NB to Exit 1, US 13 N, and motorists heading to US 202 will be directed to use I-95 NB to Exit 5B, SR 141 NB.