Testing available by appointment at www.ineedacovid19test.com

DOVER, DE (JAN. 14, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) announced today that the State of Delaware is partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to open a free COVID-19 drive-thru testing site from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7, 2022. The site will be hosted at the Delaware City Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and operate on evenings and weekends, six days a week, closing on Wednesdays when DMV has regular evening business hours. Appointments are required for testing at this site. 

Today’s announcement marks a necessary response to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases largely fueled by the Omicron variant, which has resulted in unprecedented demand for COVID-19 testing. Testing demand statewide has nearly tripled since the week before Thanksgiving, with 23,000 tests administered the week prior to Thanksgiving, and 61,000 tests administered last week. The highest demand has been centralized in New Castle County.

“The demand for testing is at an all-time high and our resources are strained. Having this site will serve as a relief valve for our testing partners, particularly in New Castle County,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “We appreciate the assistance from our federal partners and the testing staff coming to provide Delawareans with another testing option for the next several weeks to help get us through this surge.”

“We are excited that our Federal partners have provided this testing site that will help us meet the increased demand, said A.J. Schall, Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. “The hours complement other options and help expand evening and weekend availability.”

FEMA has contracted with eTrueNorth to offer testing services that include evening hours and weekends. Individuals will be tested with a PCR shallow nasal swab and results are expected to be returned in 48-72 hours. Appointments will be required.

“FEMA’s Public Assistance Program continues to support COVID-19 expanding hospital capacity as well as other initiatives such as COVID-19 testing, vaccination, personal protective equipment, administration, and surge staffing” said FEMA Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney. “FEMA will continue to provide this important resource to help meet public health and safety needs, posed by the pandemic, in an equitable and efficient manner.”

“eTrueNorth has enabled millions of PCR COVID-19 tests across the country since the start of this pandemic. We are so pleased to partner with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the State of Delaware to increase Americans’ access to COVID-19 testing,” said Coral May, eTrueNorth CEO. “These COVID-19 tests are free to individuals. Every individual needs to register at www.ineedacovid19test.com and obtain a voucher for each individual in their family that will be tested.”

The Delaware City DMV is located at 2101 Mid County Drive, New Castle, Delaware. For the first day of operations, Monday Jan. 17, 2022, appointments will be available between 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Following the first day of testing, appointments will be available for the following days of the week:

• Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 5:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
• Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Sundays: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

To make an appointment, individuals must register on the eTrueNorth Covid-19 testing website. Each individual that will be tested must create an account. After completing the initial screening questionnaire, users will schedule an appointment. A confirmation voucher will be provided and should be brought to the testing site. Testing is free and is available for all ages.

Registrants will use their username and password to access test results when they are available. The best way to schedule an appointment time is to visit http://www.doineedacovid19test.com. Those who have questions or need assistance with registering for an appointment, can email COVID19@eTrueNorth.com or call 1-800-635-8611.

For those unable to access the site due to transportation or other barriers, they are encouraged to take advantage of the hundreds of testing sites statewide and at-home test options, which can be found at de.gov/gettested.

DNREC and FEMA are partnering to improve flood risk mapping of Bundicks Branch, west of Lewes in Sussex County

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is conducting a floodplain mapping study for Bundicks Branch in Sussex County and encourages the public to learn more about the upcoming mapping changes at https://de.gov/bundicksbranch. Comments and questions about the Bundicks Branch mapping study can be submitted online, with more information about floodplain mapping and flood insurance also found there.

The Bundicks Branch study is an example of DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to improve the accuracy of flood risk maps statewide through a Cooperating Technical Partnership. Current flood risk maps for Delaware can be viewed at www.de.gov/floodplanning.

“DNREC and its consultant are performing updated watershed modelling to produce more detailed and accurate flood risk assessments and maps for the Bundicks Branch watershed,” said Michael Powell, DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management section administrator. “This improved study and map will ultimately be adopted by FEMA to produce updated federal floodplain maps for this watershed.”

FEMA’s flood risk maps are used for flood insurance purposes and to enforce local floodplain codes. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program makes flood insurance available to local property owners. Mortgage lenders require borrowers whose properties are in a designated special flood hazard area to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage loan in accordance with the Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973.

Standard homeowners insurance does not cover damage caused by flooding, but all property owners and renters can buy flood insurance. Homeowners interested in how the proposed changes could impact the cost of their flood insurance premium should contact their insurance agent.

More information about Delaware’s floodplain management program can be found on the DNREC website.

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 Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###

DOVER (Feb. 22, 2021) – Given additional expected capacity at the ongoing vaccination event at Dover International Speedway, the State of Delaware and Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that appointments will open Tuesday morning for individuals who received their first dose 35 or more days ago from a pharmacy, medical provider, clinic or other source in Delaware and have not yet obtained a second dose.

The newly available appointments will be for the Dover International Speedway vaccination event on Thursday and Friday. Those being vaccinated will need to demonstrate with their vaccination card that they received their first dose on or before January 22. These vaccinations are for individuals who live, work or obtain their health care in Delaware, and received their first dose in Delaware.

Scheduled appointments will be cancelled for those who can be identified in state vaccination records as not receiving their first dose on or before January 22.

Scheduling for these second-dose appointments will open on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at de.gov/fema. Those without Internet access may call DPH at 1-833-643-1715 but should not call until after 11 a.m. Tuesday as no appointments will be available until then, 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.
• Your vehicle has a full tank of gas.
• You have personal identification (a driver’s licenses or photo ID).
• Proof of first COVID-19 vaccination (vaccination card).
• Confirmation of your appointment.
• Snacks to enjoy while waiting in line.

DPH also announced Monday that the approximately 2,000 individuals vaccinated by DPH at the Chase Center in Wilmington Jan. 30 are being contacted this week to schedule their second dose back at the Chase Center on Saturday, Feb. 27.

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 – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship announced today that revised FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps in portions of New Castle County will become effective Jan. 22. The revisions were made by DNREC through a cooperating technical partnership with FEMA, and include more than 96 miles of streams in areas at risk of flooding. Revised mapping is concentrated in the Brandywine-Christina Watershed, but includes streams throughout New Castle County.

Flood risks are generally increasing over time due to factors such as watershed development and sea level rise. Updating FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) mapping to reflect current conditions is a critical way to depict these changing risks. Accurate maps give communities the tools they need to improve their resiliency to flood risk, and help consumers make informed decisions about flood insurance purchases.

Hydrologic studies that determine floodwater flows, base flood elevations, and more accurate floodplain boundaries, were performed by DNREC in parts of New Castle County that had been previously identified to have inaccurate floodplain maps. With these results, base flood elevations for many areas are now shown on FEMA’s maps for the first time, providing property owners with more detailed and accurate flood risk assessments.

Standard property insurance does not cover flood damage. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program makes flood insurance available to local property owners. Mortgage lenders require borrowers whose properties are located in designated special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally-backed mortgage loan. For structures that are newly mapped into the SFHA, property owners are eligible for a lower-cost preferred risk policy, if they purchase a policy during the first 12 months after the FIRMs are revised. Rates will then increase no more than 18 percent per year, until they reach the full-risk rate. For properties that are newly removed from the SFHA, property owners may convert their high-risk policy to a preferred risk policy, resulting in a lower premium.

For more information on the revised FIRMs, contact Gina Tonn, Division of Watershed Stewardship, at 302-739-9921. To view the maps online, DNREC’s flood mapping tool is available at de.gov/floodplanning.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

DOVER – The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Flood Management Program reminds residents of New Castle County that preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for portions of New Castle County released in December 2016 and revised in May 2018 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin a 90-day regulatory appeal period Friday, Dec. 14 through Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

To see if your property is located in one of the areas with preliminary FIRMs, please review DNREC’s website at www.de.gov/floodplanning. Anyone who believes that the preliminary maps may contain errors can submit an appeal to their community floodplain administrator. The floodplain administrator will review and consolidate all appeals before forwarding them to FEMA. Once FEMA has reviewed appeals and made a determination on their validity, the agency will issue a Letter of Final Determination to community representatives, and the floodplain administrator. The preliminary maps will become effective six months after the Letter of Final Determination.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program makes flood insurance available to local property owners. Mortgage lenders require borrowers whose properties are located in a designated special flood hazard area to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage loan in accordance with the Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973. FEMA’s flood risk maps are used by insurance companies to establish insurance rates and by local communities to enforce local floodplain codes.

For more information on the flood risk maps, please contact Michael Powell, Division of Watershed Stewardship, at 302-739-9921. For information on DNREC’s flood mitigation program, please visit DNREC’s website at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/swc/Drainage/Pages/Flooding.aspx.

Contact: Joanna Wilson or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 332