DOVER, Del. (October 6, 2023) — The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced they will be distributing $199,400 in relief funds through the USDA Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program to eligible Delaware seafood processors, dealers, and processing vessels who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DDA can issue relief funds to eligible seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, including at-sea processors or dealers, who incurred expenses between January 27, 2020, and December 31, 2021.

• A processor means the owner, operator, dealer, or agent responsible for any activity that changes the physical condition of a fisheries resource suitable for human consumption, retail sale, industrial uses, or long-term storage, including cooking, canning, smoking, salting, drying, shucking, filleting, freezing, or rendering into meal or oil. Any owner, operator, dealer, or agent exclusively gutting, gilling, heading, or icing seafood without performing any of the above activities is not considered a processor.
• An at-sea processor is a vessel or other platform that floats and can be moved from one location to another, whether in State waters or water of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), receiving fish and operating as a processor.
• A dealer is an entity that first receives fish by way of purchase and sells directly to restaurants, markets, other dealers, processors, or consumers without substantially altering the product.

Each processing facility or vessel may apply separately for funding. Processors may only apply once for each location or vessel. Eligible entities can access the application online at https://de.gov/seafoodrelief. All applications and supporting documents must be postmarked on or before November 30, 2023, or received electronically by DDA by November 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications that are late or missing documentation will not be considered.

The grant is intended to defray expenses associated with preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to COVID-19. DDA can reimburse costs associated with the following categories:

• Workplace Safety Measures: Workplace safety measures, including, but not limited to, personal protective equipment, sanitizer, hand washing stations, air filters, thermometers, cleaning supplies, or similar items.
• Market Pivots: Market pivots such as the transition to virtual/online sales costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees), supplies, and new signage.
• Retrofitting Facilities: Retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety (retrofitting harvester vessels for onboard vessel processing to maximize open-air activities, plexiglass, walk-up windows, heat lamps, fans, tents, propane, weights, tables, chairs).
• Transportation: Additional transportation costs incurred to maintain social distancing.
• Worker Housing: Additional worker housing costs incurred to maintain social distancing or to allow for the quarantining of new or exposed employees.
• Medical: Unreimbursed costs associated with providing or enabling vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees, including any paid leave.

Anyone receiving grant funding from the Delaware Department of Agriculture must complete a W-9 form online (https://esupplier.erp.delaware.gov/) before receiving payment. The State of Delaware does not accept the federal W-9 form.

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NEW CASTLE (Jan. 25, 2023) – The Delaware Division of Social Services (DSS) will issue emergency benefits for January to eligible households as part of the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Benefits will be issued as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and two cash assistance programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA). The SNAP emergency food benefit will be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards Thursday, Jan. 26. Eligible TANF and GA households will receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Thursday, Jan. 26.

The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is also announcing that emergency food benefits for households receiving SNAP will end March 2023 due to a recent change in federal law passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This means households will receive their final emergency food benefit at the end of February. Beginning March 1, 2023, households will receive their regular monthly benefit amount on the normal issuance date and will no longer receive additional emergency food benefits on their EBT cards at the end of each month.

“We are so thankful that we were able to offer these emergency benefits to the many Delawareans who have experienced economic struggles and health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “We know this change likely will cause a hardship for many individuals and families, so we want to ensure that those individuals who relied on these additional funds each month are aware of the community resources that may be available to them.” DHSS encourages Delawareans in need of food assistance to contact Delaware 2-1-1 to find the nearest food closet or pantry or visit the Food Bank of Delaware’s website at fbd.org.

DHSS encourages Delawareans in need of food assistance to contact Delaware 2-1-1 to find the nearest food closet or pantry, or visit the Food Bank of Delaware’s website at fbd.org.

Through the end of February, all households with open SNAP cases will receive at least $95 in emergency food benefits, to be issued as follows:

• SNAP households receiving the maximum food benefit amount for their household size or a prorated initial benefit will receive $95 in emergency food benefits.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency food benefit amount less than $95 will have their emergency benefit increased to $95.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency benefit amount of $95 or more will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase the household’s monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

The emergency assistance for TANF and GA families increases a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size. Households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of January are not eligible for the January emergency cash funds. Emergency cash benefits will continue during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

DHSS has issued emergency benefits each month to eligible households since March 2020.

How the monthly emergency benefit is calculated: A household’s monthly emergency benefit equals the current maximum benefit amount for the household size minus the household’s current monthly benefit amount. For example, based on current USDA limits for SNAP benefits, if a household of one gets $100 in regular monthly benefits, that household will receive $181 in emergency benefits ($281 maximum benefit minus $100 monthly benefit).

Here are the current maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size for SNAP, TANF, and General Assistance:

An estimated 60,500 Delaware households will receive the emergency SNAP allotment in January, totaling about $12.5 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency Cash Benefits

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

General Assistance (GA)

An estimated 170 households will be eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in January, totaling about $ 21,150 in emergency benefits for the month.

In addition to the emergency benefits, households will receive their regular benefits for January on the usual issuance dates.

Households should report to DSS any recent changes in address, household size, employment, income, and expenses (such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and child care). Households can report changes by logging in to Delaware ASSIST, calling 1-866-843-7212, or contacting their local DSS office.

For more information about DSS’s benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to the division’s webpage. To screen for and apply for benefits, go to DHSS’ online application portal Delaware ASSIST or call 1-866-843-7212.

Eligible Families Will Receive Emergency Food Assistance Benefits in 2 Distributions

NEW CASTLE (Aug. 2, 2022) – Eligible Delaware households will receive emergency food assistance benefits under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to cover the summer period when children are on break and not receiving meals at school.

The following children are eligible for the Summer P-EBT benefit:

1. Children who were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during the last month of the 2021-2022 school year. This includes children who graduated at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
2. Children who are determined newly eligible for free or reduced-price school meals during this summer and were enrolled in a Delaware school during the 2021-2022 school year. Households that submit a meal application to their school on or before Aug. 26, 2022, and are approved will qualify for Summer P-EBT as long as the child was enrolled in the school for the 2021-2022 school year.
3. Children under age 6 who are part of a household that is receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits during this summer.

The Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Social Services (DSS) is collaborating with the Delaware Department of Education and Delaware schools to issue the Summer P-EBT benefit beginning this month. Households will receive the U.S. Standard Summer P-EBT Benefit of $391.00 for each eligible child in their home. The Summer P-EBT benefit will be split into two separate issuances.

The date that benefits are issued to individual households depends on when P-EBT eligibility information is received from Delaware schools.

P-EBT benefits may be used to purchase food at stores that accept SNAP EBT cards. SNAP households will have P-EBT benefits loaded on their existing SNAP EBT cards. Households that do not receive SNAP will have P-EBT benefits loaded on the P-EBT card that was sent to them in a previous school year. Newly eligible non-SNAP households will receive a P-EBT card in the mail along with details on how to use the card.

“For vulnerable families across our state, the Summer Pandemic EBT program is an important way to make sure that the nutritional needs of children continue to be met when they are away from school,” said DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik. “We are grateful to the federal government and Delaware’s congressional delegation for providing critical funding to support eligible Delaware families.”

DHSS estimates that it will issue $43.8 million in P-EBT benefits to parents or guardians of approximately 112,050 children this summer.

Eligible households will receive written notification in the mail regarding the Summer P-EBT benefit. P-EBT eligibility is based on information received from Delaware schools.

Families who would like to apply for free or reduced-price school meals may contact the School Nutrition Program for their child’s school or visit their school’s website to complete an application. Families must apply for free or reduced-price meals by Aug. 26, 2022, to be potentially eligible for Summer P-EBT.

Please contact the Division of Social Services at 1-866-843-7212 if you have questions about Delaware’s P-EBT Program. Visit Delaware’s P-EBT website for more information.

 Increased visitation to Delaware State Parks is expected to continue as more people opt for the benefits of being outdoors

After breaking attendance records in 2021, Delaware State Parks is on pace to set another visitors’ attendance mark by the end of 2022, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today.

In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation had 47,250 active annual passes that allow daily entry into Delaware State Parks compared with 61,744 in 2021, a 31% increase.

As of April 30, 39,959 individuals had purchased an annual pass within the first two months of sales – surpassing the 39,568 passes purchased by the same date in 2021 despite two fewer months of sales. Park passes typically go on sale in December, but sales for 2022 were delayed until February due to nationwide supply-chain disruptions.

Visitation to Delaware’s 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo has increased by 30% in the last five years, from 6.1 million in 2017 to 7.9 million in 2021, and is up 78% over the last decade. Increased visitation is expected to continue as more people opt for the benefits of being outdoors.

“The incredible interest our Delaware State Parks have experienced since the start of the pandemic is here to stay. Like never before, the public recognizes the many benefits the nation’s best state parks offer for our health and wellbeing,” said DNREC Secretary M. Shawn Garvin. “I am incredibly proud of how our parks staff continues to meet the challenges that come with increased demand and usage of all our venues and amenities.”

Usage on some park trails has increased more than 70% during the pandemic, boat rentals at the inland pond parks increased by 24%, and the state-owned Deerfield and Garrison’s Lake golf courses saw record-breaking numbers of rounds of golf played with an increase of 37%.

Visitation to the Delaware State Parks beaches also grew, causing parking lots at Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island state parks to reach capacity, resulting in 69 lot closures in 2021. While it is common for day-use parking lots at beach parks to reach capacity on busy summer weekends, 16 of the lot closures in 2021 occurred on weekdays.

Camping and cabin reservations at Delaware State Parks have increased more than 30%, with 153,582 nights booked in 2021 compared to 117,471 nights booked in 2019. While summer has historically been the most popular time to camp in Delaware State Parks, camping and cabin reservations during the off-season started to increase in fall 2020 and continue to trend upward. Camping also draws some of the most active park users who spend both their days and nights on park grounds.

 Delaware State Parks also marked its 70th anniversary in 2021 and, for the second time, won the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) 2021 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This biennial Gold Medal Award has only been given 13 times since its establishment in 1997. Delaware and Florida are the only state park systems to win the award more than once.

The division released a Strategic Plan in 2021 with core priorities and goals that will guide Delaware State Parks through 2026. Part of the plan includes the launch of Project 75 with multiple initiatives to take the division into its 75th anniversary. Project 75 includes 75,000 tree plantings in state parks, 75 new accessible amenities and $7.5 million in grants and partnership funding to support free park-based field trips, community recreational improvements, and cultural and natural resource stewardship efforts statewide.

The Division of Parks and Recreation manages an accredited zoo, marinas, golf courses, a water park and is responsible for giving interpretive tours of our state capital. The division is a steward to more than 26,000 acres of land and aims to improve public health, connect children to the outdoors, provide accessible recreation, construct and maintain a sustainable network of trails, and encourage partnerships for conversation, recreation and tourism.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Enjoy the natural diversity of Delaware’s 17 state parks. Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov.

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This press release was updated on Jan. 7, 2022, to reflect a CDC update shortening the booster interval from 6 months to 5 months for people who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

DOVER, DE (JAN. 6, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) today announced that Delaware’s vaccine providers can now begin administering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to individuals ages 12 to 15 who completed their initial Pfizer vaccine series at least five months ago.

Today’s announcement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval Monday to expand Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to allow for the Pfizer booster to be administered to this age group. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met Wednesday and agreed with the FDA findings. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky endorsed the advisory committee’s recommendations later that evening.

The FDA and CDC also shortened the booster interval from 6 months to 5 months for people who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 or Moderna vaccines. This means that people can now receive an mRNA booster shot 5 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series. The booster interval recommendation for people who received the J&J vaccine (2 months) has not changed. Individuals younger than 18 are only able to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and are not able to mix and match vaccine brands for their booster as those individuals 18 and older can do.

Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. The FDA and CDC reviewed real-world data from Israel, including safety data from more than 6,300 individuals 12 through 15 years of age who received a booster dose of the vaccine. The data show there are no new safety concerns following a booster in this population. There were no new cases of myocarditis or pericarditis reported to date in these individuals.

“Given the record number of COVID-19 cases we are seeing in our state and how transmissible the Omicron variant is proving to be, this is welcome news,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Vaccines and booster doses offer the best protection against infection, hospitalization and death. I urge all Delawareans who are eligible to receive a booster dose to get one now. If you or your children have not received an initial round of the COVID-19 vaccine series, now is the time to protect yourself, your children and those you love. The more Delawareans who are vaccinated and protected against this virus, the better protected we all will be.”

According to CDC data, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are 7 and 11 times higher, respectively, in unvaccinated adolescents, compared to vaccinated adolescents.

The FDA and CDC also moved to allow for moderately or severely immunocompromised 5–11-year-olds to receive an additional primary dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5-11. Children in this age group who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who have been diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise, may not respond adequately to the two-dose primary vaccination series, and benefit from a third dose. The FDA previously authorized a third primary series dose for use as part of the primary immunization series in individuals 12 years and older.

DPH encourages providers to use their clinical judgment and to consider additional factors for their patients when determining if the person meets the qualifications for immunocompromised status and is eligible for an additional/third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Delawareans who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot are recommended to seek vaccines at existing vaccine sites, including pharmacies, health care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, DPH clinics and the following standing DPH Vaccine sites:

• Blue Hen Corporate Center: 655 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901
• Georgetown Plaza: 19 Georgetown Plaza, Georgetown, DE 19947
• Canby Park: 1920 Maryland Ave., Wilmington, DE 19805
• University Plaza, 256 Chapman Road, Suite 100, Newark, DE 19702

For a complete list of locations where vaccines are available, visit de.gov/getmyvaccine.