Modification resumes FOIA; makes technical changes around school guidance

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday issued a revision to the omnibus State of Emergency order, resuming the processing of requests under Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Click here to read Governor Carney’s modification.

“Thank you to all Delawareans who are doing the hard work to get us through this COVID-19 crisis,” said Governor Carney. “The vast majority of Delawareans are taking the science seriously and following basic precautions to keep their communities healthy. But we can’t get complacent. Please continue to wear a mask in public settings. Avoid large gatherings and wash your hands frequently. That will help us safely get more Delaware children back in school and more Delawareans back to work.”

Governor Carney’s revision on Friday also makes technical corrections clarifying that Delaware private and parochial schools must follow COVID-19 restrictions in school buildings and notify their school communities in the event of a positive case of COVID-19. Private and parochial schools in Delaware have already been adhering to these guidelines as they have reopened.

Governor Carney’s modification also streamlines the approval process for events beyond public gathering limits in the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH).

Click here to read Governor Carney’s full omnibus order.

Governor Carney’s State of Emergency declaration – including each of its modifications – carries the full force and effect of law. Delawareans and visitors also must follow local restrictions in place to limit community spread of COVID-19. 

Anyone with a question about COVID-19, whether related to medical or social service needs, should call Delaware 2-1-1. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Questions can also be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov. 

Report a business for COVID-19 non-compliance using this form. 

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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WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, Delaware Governor John Carney, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced a $1.5 million grant award from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to Delaware Innovation Space to create a Hard Science Startup Accelerator. The grant was awarded through the national Build to Scale (B2S) competition run by the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) at EDA.

Delaware Innovation Space is a nonprofit incubator and accelerator at the Experimental Station where scientists, business leaders, community members, investors, and service providers in the industrial biotech, advanced materials, chemical ingredients, renewable energy, nutrition and healthcare fields can build business concepts together and accelerate the path to commercialization. It is the result of a public-private partnership between the State of Delaware, DuPont and the University of Delaware. This grant award will provide mentorship and training to entrepreneurs to help them develop and grow their business.

Delaware Innovation Space was awarded the top amount of $1.5 million in the competition placing it in the top 10 percent of more than 600 applications that were submitted from across the United States.

“We want innovators and entrepreneurs to start in Delaware, stay in Delaware, and grow in Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “The accelerator program funded by this grant will assist emerging science-based startups to grow and thrive right here in Delaware. The world has changed. We have to continue being nimble and supporting our entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’ve already seen success out of the Delaware Innovation Space from companies like Prelude Therapeutics, and I look forward to seeing the Delaware companies that this program will launch and grow.”

“The lack of physical lab space with expert business mentorship and training is a road block to the ultimate success of emerging entrepreneurs in the hard sciences,” said Bill Provine, Delaware Innovation Space President & CEO. “The Hard Science Startup Accelerator will provide science entrepreneurs with access to structured programs and a customized learning experience that will improve their business concepts and plans, making them more attractive to investors. This combined with the physical assets of the Delaware Innovation Space which includes a more than 130,000-square-foot physical and virtual collaboration ecosystem will assist and equip scalable startups with the tools and expert insights that they need to transform the markets in which they operate.”  

“The Delaware Innovation Space was born out of Delaware’s long history of scientific innovation. As we push through this pandemic, the Innovation Space will continue to be an important part of research and discovery – and economy recovery,” said Senator Carper, ranking member on the Environment and Public Works committee in the U.S. Senate, which has jurisdiction over EDA. “The Delaware Innovation Space will leverage this federal investment and use the resources of the University of Delaware and DuPont to mentor entrepreneurs through its Hard Science Startup Accelerator. We must continue to find ways to grow our economy for the long-term, and this grant will help foster that innovation.”

 “The Hard Science Startup Accelerator program aims to help startup companies and science entrepreneurs be competitive in today’s global economy,” said Senator Coons. “The Delaware Innovation Space has helped companies like Yushan Yan’s W7 Energy to spin out of the University of Delaware their fuel cell technology, and this $1.5-million grant will continue advancing innovation and economic development with other startups in the First State. This federal funding, combined with investments from other partners, helps make sure that Delaware – the birthplace of Nylon, Kevlar, Teflon, and Oliver Evans’ Automated Flour Mill – can provide capital-intensive wet lab space and world-class mentorship well into the future to many more promising technologies.”

“In the midst of our national period of economic hardship, we must continue to help our emerging entrepreneurs innovate and succeed,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “The Delaware Innovation Space represents the best kind of partnership that we must continue to utilize and leverage. I’m excited to see how this federal investment will help catalyze some truly exciting results.”

The Hard Science Startup Accelerator will be offered at no-charge to startup companies and the application window for the first cohort class along with other supporting programs will open in late 2020; with the first cohort class beginning work in 2021.

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Round 1 applicants will be notified of status by September 30

WILMINGTON, Del. – Eligible Delaware small businesses and nonprofits will be able to apply for the $30 million available from second round of DE Relief Grants starting Thursday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m. on delbiz.com/relief.

“Delaware small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they have made considerable sacrifices during the COVID-19 crisis. We owe them our gratitude and support,” said Governor Carney. “These relief grants will help Delaware small businesses begin the process of recovering and will help make investments necessary to create safer spaces for their customers and staff.”

To help applicants prepare, the Division of Small Business is hosting a webinar Friday, September 25 at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will learn from the challenges and experiences of Round 1 with the goal of increasing their chances of receiving Round 2 funding.

Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/y2vm5x57

The first application round was open for 36 hours. During that time DSB received 1,645 applications, eligible for $54.4 million in grants.

“We expected high demand for the grants as this has been an very difficult time for so many businesses,” said Damian DeStefano, Director of the Division of Small Business. “We were encouraged to see that so many of the applications were from parts of the business community that have been hit hardest, including very small family-owned firms, hospitality businesses, like restaurants and tourist attractions, and minority- and women-owned businesses.”

Facts about round 1 applications:

• Disproportionately impacted industries (food services, retail, personal care, etc.) accounted for two-thirds of the dollar amount.
• More than half the applicants were minority- or woman-owned businesses.
• Three-quarters of the businesses and nonprofits that applied had annual revenues under $1 million (44% under $250,000).
• Three-quarters of applicants have fewer than 10 employees (more than half, fewer than 5).

Businesses that applied during Round 1 will know by September 30 the final status of their applications, including if the application was not accepted. If an application was not accepted, they can and should consider applying for Round 2.

Grants of up to $100,000 are available based on 2019 revenue. Information on determining the amount a business is eligible for, what expenses are eligible for submission and additional program stipulations is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section of delbiz.com/relief.

Businesses interested in applying should, if they have not already done so, gather the following required documents:

• Complete 2019 tax return
• State of Delaware Business License (applicants must submit unless in an industry with a legal exemption from this requirement)
• Receipts for qualifying expenses (carefully check what qualifies as an eligible expense)

The DE Relief Grants program is a joint initiative of at least $100 million between the State of Delaware and New Castle County, funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The grants aim to help Delaware eligible small businesses and nonprofits pay expenses related to COVID-19.

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COVID Alert PA Interoperable with Delaware app available on App Store and Google Play

 WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), and the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) announced that COVID Alert DE will be interoperable with Pennsylvania’s exposure notification app, COVID Alert PA, which launched today.

The COVID Alert DE mobile app is available in the App Store or Google Play.

“Nearly 25,000 Delawareans have already downloaded COVID Alert DE to help us slow the spread of this virus,” said Governor Carney. “By teaming up with Pennsylvania, we are hoping to raise awareness of this important technology, and assist those Delawareans that travel to and from Pennsylvania for their daily commutes. We encourage those who have not yet downloaded the app to consider doing so to protect themselves and their families.”

COVID Alert DE and COVID Alert PA were created in partnership with the software developer NearForm. These apps will allow for interoperability and exposure notifications across state lines using Bluetooth technology developed by Apple and Google.

“COVID Alert DE is working well, but with Pennsylvania’s newly announced app, it will work even better,” said Molly Magarik, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). “Contact tracers across the state have been providing Delawareans who have tested positive and have COVID Alert DE on their phones with the six-digit code they need to, in turn, upload their keys and anonymously notify close contacts. We appreciate the community support getting the word out about this app, and we hope to see a jump in users in weeks to come.”

The app is not a substitute for basic public health precautionary measures – including mask-wearing, social distancing in public, and frequent handwashing. Additionally, those who have the app are still asked to speak with contact tracers from the Division of Public Health if contacted.

Visit de.gov/covidalert for additional information about COVID Alert DE, or send questions to DPHCall@delaware.gov

 Are you a business, nonprofit, or organization interested in COVID Alert DE? Email questions about partnership opportunities to DHSS_TownHall@delaware.gov. 

Download the app:  

Apple Store

Google Play

Anyone with a question about COVID-19, whether related to medical or social service needs, should call Delaware 2-1-1. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Questions can also be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.  

Report a business for COVID-19 non-compliance using this form.  

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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Governor John Carney will hold a press briefing at 1:45 p.m. in the auditorium of the Carvel State Office Building to answer questions from members of the press about Delaware’s response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).