DOVER, DE (April 14, 2022) – Spring break for most Delaware schools will occur the week of April 18.  The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) are strongly encouraging families to test students for COVID-19 before their return to school following spring break using either over-the-counter (OTC) test kits or visiting a convenient testing location.  With the lifting of certain COVID-19 restrictions and mandates, many individuals are once again holding family gatherings or have scheduled travel plans this year.  Since you never know if the people around you might be positive for COVID-19 even without showing any symptoms, the best way to know your status and to keep classmates and teachers safe is to test the day before you return to school. This is especially true as Delaware starts to see a slight increase in COVID-19 cases.

DPH distributed approximately 190,000 OTC test kits to school districts, charter schools, and private/parochial schools this month. While some schools may choose to keep them for in-school testing purposes, others may choose to distribute them to families to make it easier for students to test before their return to school after the break.

Other convenient testing options include ordering free at-home COVID-19 test kits (four to five tests in a kit) from the federal government at covidtests.gov, purchasing them from pharmacies, or finding a testing site near you at de.gov/gettested.

“We’re pleased to partner with the Department of Education and school districts statewide to offer families peace of mind and a way for parents to know their child’s COVID-19 status before they go back to school at the end of this month,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

“Our educators, students and families are grateful that, after two years of intermittent remote learning and quarantines, having everyone back in our buildings full time has made this spring feel more like a ‘typical’ school year,” Secretary of Education Mark Holodick said. “As families and staff travel over the break, I encourage everyone to continue mitigation strategies to reduce their risk of exposure and to test themselves before they return to school. This will help us finish this school year in the face-to-face instruction we are so happy to have back.”

In addition to testing before returning to school, families are encouraged to seek testing for their children when a student has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, has COVID-19 symptoms, or wishes to know their status before spending time with a person who is vulnerable to COVID-19 (e.g., immunocompromised, elderly, or unvaccinated). 

Spring break also is a great time to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations for those who have not yet received their first or second dose or a booster when eligible. 

“Cases have slightly increased over the last week.  We know COVID is not over,” said Dr. Rattay.  “Right now is actually the perfect time to make sure everyone is up to date on their vaccines to protect themselves and their community.” 

Keep these four simple tips in mind as your anytime COVID prevention toolkit:

• Get vaccinated (including getting your booster) when eligible.
• Wear a mask in areas of high COVID-19 transmission. Use the CDC’s Tool for identifying COVID-19 transmission levels. Also consider wearing a mask around others if you are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, or around people who are.
• Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to someone with COVID, or weekly if you are not up to date on your vaccines.
• Stay home from work or school when sick.

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Anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind or speech disabled can contact DPH by dialing 711 first using specialized devices (i.e. TTY, TeleBraille, voice devices). The 711 service is free and to learn more about how it works, please visit delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

The Department of Health and Social Services established a number of  COVID-19 test sites throughout the state. If you have the following symptoms you may want to get checked for COVID-19: symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including fever/chills, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, headache, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Find a testing location near you. 

For those that are deaf or hard of hearing you can call 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211, which provides accessible information.

In-Home Test Kits
Would you like to take the test at home? The Division of Public Health has a saliva collection kit that is sampled with the assistance of an online healthcare provider through video telehealth. Find out how to Get an In-Home Test Kit.

Get The Vaccine
If you are ready to take the COVID-19 vaccination visit Get The Vaccine to find a location near you.

Coronavirus School Testing
Delaware Division of Public Health in partnership with Quidel will provide asymptomatic COVID-19 screening services to participating school districts. Students and faculty that opt-in to the COVID-19 screening program will be testing with Quidel’s rapid antigen tests to facilitate the re-opening of K-12 public schools in the fall of 2021. Get more information on School-Based Testing.

Read the School-Based Covid-19 Testing: Expectations and Guidelines.

Know the Science
Would you like to know more about the COVID-19 vaccines? Start with the science!  This Department of Health and Social Services site includes videos with Delaware providers giving answers on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Delaware COVID Stats
If you are interested in the current statistics for Delaware visit the Coronavirus Dashboard.

Partnership will provide testing for Delaware children, adolescents

WILMINGTON- Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced on Friday that the State of Delaware will partner with Nemours Children’s Health System, the Delaware Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other pediatric care providers in Delaware to make rapid COVID-19 tests available for Delaware children and adolescents statewide. 

Delaware has received more than 77,500 Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 point-of-care antigen cards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The state expects to receive a total of 290,000 tests, which can diagnose COVID-19 infection in as little as 15 minutes. The tests are largely being distributed to outpatient clinical settings providing care to children and adolescents, especially those currently in child care and in-person learning environments. 

“Testing for COVID-19 is the best way to track the spread of this virus in our state and monitor for potential outbreaks,” said Governor Carney. “This partnership with pediatricians in Delaware, who provide health care for families statewide, will make testing even more accessible for Delawareans where and when they need it. Our goals are consistent. We want to get more children learning in classrooms, and more Delawareans back on the job. But we can only do that if we do it safely. Wear a mask in public settings. Don’t gather socially with anyone outside your household, and wash your hands frequently. This will be a difficult winter. Do your part to protect Delaware’s progress against COVID-19.”

DPH and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) have worked closely with schools and districts statewide to offer multiple testing options to meet the needs of students, teachers and staff, including:

1. More than 60 school district testing sites since late August to assist with school reopening. 
2. Contracting with Mako Medical to work directly with school districts for testing options.
3. Community testing sites through commercial pharmacies, State Service Centers and public health clinics.
4. Routine at-home testing kits for teachers and staff.

 

DPH recommends teachers, staff and students get tested at least once per month as part of the state’s efforts to identify and decrease the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community. Delaware has added rapid point-of-care antigen tests to support its overall testing strategy and increase access to testing for K-12 students.

“We feel it is important to place these tests in medical settings where providers have the knowledge and experience to properly interpret the results,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH). “These tests offer yet another tool to help us quickly identify individuals who are at risk of carrying the virus that causes COVID-19, and immediately initiate critical contact tracing and case investigation efforts in order to reduce additional spread in the community.”

In partnership with Delaware Center for Health Innovation, the Delaware Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Medical Society of Delaware, DPH is working with licensed independent health care practitioners providing care to children and adolescents in childcare and K-12 populations to coordinate requests for testing supplies.

In addition, DPH has partnered with Nemours to distribute the rapid antigen tests to participating providers of Delaware Children’s Health Network (DCHN), a physician-led clinically integrated network of providers and health care systems focused on kids. DPH has already distributed 3,000 antigen tests through DCHN, which will offer central distribution to its providers.

“We appreciate the partnership with the Division of Public Health and the recognition that primary care medical homes need to have point of care COVID testing options to appropriately diagnose patients and do our part to reduce community spread,” said Jamie Clarke, Executive Director, Delaware Children’s Health Network and Chief Value Officer, Nemours Children’s Health System.

The federal government also has shipped more than 23,000 of the 290,000 rapid tests directly to congregate care settings such as Delaware nursing homes and assisted living facilities. 

The State of Delaware has a variety of testing options available for Delawareans:

1. Nasal Swab Tests (front-of-the-nostril swab) – Available at select Walgreens and Public Health Clinic permanent testing sites. Additional health care provider testing sites may offer deep nasal swab testing.
2. Curative Tests (saliva-based oral swab) – Available at pop-up school and community testing locations and select State Service Center permanent testing sites. 
3. At-home tests (saliva collection) – Available for Delawareans residents, especially for teachers, staff and students of Delaware schools, Delawareans over the age of 60, those in high-risk groups, and anyone who has been in a large gathering or had any higher risk contact, such as interacting with others without a face covering or appropriate social distancing. 

View calendar of pop-up testing locations for students and families.

View calendar of current pop-up, permanent and other available testing locations.

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. 

Download COVID Alert DE in the App Store or Google Play. 

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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