DOVER, Del. (March 17, 2023) -  The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) saw a decrease in case rates and hospitalizations from COVID-19 over the past month and urges residents to remain vigilant and use the tools proven successful in the fight against the virus to continue these trends.

While rates are down from the peak of the pandemic, individuals are still being hospitalized at a concerning rate from COVID-19. From October 8, 2022 through the end of February 2023, 3,570 people were newly admitted to Delaware hospitals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The daily total of new admissions was highest on January 6, 2023, when 62 people were newly admitted to the hospital that day.

Treatment is a proven tool available to individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and meet certain requirements to help reduce symptoms and prevent severe illness and hospitalization. It is available via oral medication (pills that can be taken right at home) or IV infusion, depending on what is best for the individual and their condition. Treatment is most effective if started within five days of symptoms beginning, so getting it early is key. If an individual who tests positive is over age 50, is unvaccinated, or has pre-existing medical conditions, they should contact their health care provider or visit a test-to-treat location to see if treatment is right for them. For more information on treatment options and test-to-treat locations throughout Delaware, visit de.gov/covidtreatments.

The other tools that have proven successful against COVID-19 include staying home if sick and getting tested if showing symptoms or exposed to someone with COVID-19; wearing a mask if cases are high or if in contact with an immunocompromised individual; and staying up-to-date with vaccinations and boosters. Individuals who are unsure about whether they are current on their vaccinations should visit de.gov/boosters to access a simple, easy-to-use chart outlining all current vaccination situations and age groups and detailing any action that should be taken.

As the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 is expected to end on May 11, 2023, the State of Delaware and those at DPH prepare for the many changes that will come with such action. The Division of Public Health has been working to update its data collection methods and determine which data sets will be available and most accurate for analysis following the end of the Public Health Emergency.

Full data on the impact of the pandemic in Delaware since its onset and current analysis continues to be available on the MyHealthyCommunity portal at https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/home.

COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations:

• Total positive cases since March 11, 2020: 332,526
• 7-day daily average of new positive cases: 55.7, a decrease of 89.4 average new positive cases reported since last month.
• 7-day daily average for the percentage of total positive tests: 6.7 percentage points, a decrease of 6.3 percentage points from last month.
• Hospitalizations: 78 current hospitalizations, 7 critical hospitalizations
• Total COVID-19 deaths: 3,342 – an increase of 54 from last month.
  *Case and testing data are based on reporting of lab-confirmed COVID-19 tests only. The number of COVID-19 cases in the community is higher than what is reported because of the use of at-home test kits.

COVID-19 Vaccinations:

• Total number of doses administered in Delaware (CDC data): 2,160,480
• Percentage of Delawareans who have completed the primary vaccine series (CDC data): 73.4%
• Percentage of Delawareans 5+ who have received an updated bivalent booster dose (CDC data): 21.9%

COVID-19 Case Vaccination Status Report:

The following reports capture a weekly breakdown of non-boosted cases, deaths, and hospitalizations for the time frame of March 6, 2023 – March 12, 2023.

Not up-to-date: Case – Hospital – Death

Weekly Overview
(03/06/23 – 03/12/23)

Not up-to-date Cases

Total Not up-to-date Cases — 396

Total Cases — 440

Percent of Not up-to-date Cases — 90%

Not up-to-date Hospitalized Cases

Total Not up-to-date Hospitalized Cases — 196

Total Hospitalized Cases — 244

Percent of Not up-to-date Cases — 80%

Not up-to-date Deaths

Total Not up-to-date Deaths — 0

Total COVID-19 Deaths — 2

Percent of Not up-to-date Deaths — 0%

Note:
Case and Hospitalization Count: based on RTS (Report to State Date)
Death: based on patient DoD (Date of Death)
Not up-to-date: all cases that are not completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and/or have not received the most recent booster dose recommended by CDC. (CDC’s guidance updated March 2nd 2023)

DE resident only*

Long-term Care Statistics:

As of Tuesday, March 14, 2023, there have been a total of 1,041 positive COVID-19 cases involving long-term care residents, and 5,663 residents of Delaware long-term care facilities have died from complications related to COVID-19.

Resources:

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 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@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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