COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Updates for Long-Term Care Facilities, Health Care Facilities, and State Employees

Staff must provide proof of vaccination or get tested regularly for COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) on Thursday announced that ​beginning on September 30, staff in long-term care and other health care facilities will be required to provide proof of vaccination or to undergo regular testing to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable populations. 

“There’s no better way to protect our most vulnerable neighbors from this virus than getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Governor Carney. “If you haven’t gotten your COVID-19 vaccine yet, consider it. Vaccination is how we’ll make sure our communities get healthier and continue to build a great future in our state.”

The requirement also will be formalized by the end of this month and will cover the following entities regulated by the DHSS Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ):

Long-Term Care Facilities:

  • Nursing homes
  • Assisted-living facilities
  • Intermediate-care facility for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities
  • Neighborhood homes
  • Group homes for persons with serious and persistent mental illness
  • Group homes for persons with HIV/AIDS
  • Family care homes
  • Rest residential facilities
  • Intensive behavioral support and educational residences

Acute and Outpatient Providers:

  • Adult day cares
  • Free-standing birthing centers
  • Free-standing emergency departments
  • Free-standing surgical centers
  • Home health agencies: aide only (non-skilled)
  • Skilled home health agencies
  • Hospitals (including psychiatric hospitals)
  • Prescribed pediatric extended care centers
  • Hospice
  • Personal assistance service agencies
  • Office-based surgery

Click here to view where these new regulations will be posted by the end of the month.

Click here to view the emergency regulations announced earlier this week that require all individuals kindergarten-age and older to wear masks indoors at K-12 schools and child care facilities beginning August 16, 2021.

Additionally, Governor Carney announced Thursday that beginning on September 30, 2021, State of Delaware employees will also be required to provide proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Additional information will be provided to state employees by the Delaware Department of Human Resources.

Governor Carney and the Division of Public Health also encouraged private employers to impose similar requirements to encourage vaccinations. While the state’s requirements will offer employees the choice between getting vaccinated or getting tested, federal guidance permits employers to require vaccinations, as several Delaware employers have decided to do.

As of Wednesday, August 11, 73.9 percent of Delaware adults, and 71.8 percent of those 12 and older, have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Visit de.gov/getmyvaccine to find a free COVID-19 vaccination provider near you. 

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Governor Carney Announces COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Updates for Long-Term Care Facilities, Health Care Facilities, and State Employees


Governor Carney Announces Mask Requirement in K-12 Schools, Child Care, State Facilities

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced that everyone kindergarten-age and older in K-12 schools and child care homes and centers must wear face coverings indoors effective on Monday, August 16 – regardless of vaccination status. The requirement covers both public and private schools in Delaware. Child care centers and homes are strongly encouraged to require masks for children 2 years old to kindergarten inside their facilities to prevent spread of COVID-19. Children younger than 2 years old should not wear masks due to risk of suffocation.

The statewide mask requirement in schools, which will be formalized later this week, is consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and will help all Delaware students safely return to classrooms full-time this fall for the 2021-2022 school year. Children younger than 12 remain ineligible for COVID-19 vaccination at this time. ​

As of Monday, August 9, 73.7 percent of Delaware adults, and 71.6 percent of those 12 and older, have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Visit de.gov/getmyvaccine to find a free COVID-19 vaccination provider near you.

“There’s no higher priority than getting all Delaware children back in their classrooms full-time this fall,” said Governor Carney. “This consistent, statewide approach will help students, educators and staff return to school safely and without disruption. Vaccination remains the best way to finally put an end to this pandemic. These COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe, and highly effective against COVID-19 infection and serious illness. If you haven’t gotten your vaccine, consider it. Talk to your doctor and your friends who have received their shot. That’s how we’ll keep students in classrooms and keep moving forward.”

Additionally, Governor Carney announced Tuesday that state employees and visitors to Delaware state facilities must wear masks indoors, consistent with CDC guidance, starting Monday, August 16. This applies to all individuals, regardless of their vaccination status. Additional requirements around vaccination and testing for state employees and others are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Governor Carney on Tuesday also formally extended the Public Health Emergency order in place to allow the State of Delaware and medical providers to continue COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs. Under Delaware law, Public Health Emergency declarations must be renewed every 30 days.

Click here for Governor Carney’s Public Health Emergency extension.

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State of Delaware Announces DE Wins! Incentive Program to Drive COVID-19 Vaccinations

Partnership will provide public education and incentives for vaccination, including $302,000 cash drawing

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) on Tuesday announced the launch of DE Wins!, a public education and incentive program aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates in Delaware.

Delawareans ​12+ vaccinated from May 25-June 29, ​and any Delawarean ages 12-17 vaccinated to date, will be entered to win $5,000 in cash and additional prizes in twice-weekly drawings conducted by the Delaware Lottery.

Other prizes include a four-day vacation, a full scholarship to a public Delaware university, annual Delaware State Parks passes, tickets and camping at Firefly Music Festival, and prize packages from partners including Funland, the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Delmarva Shorebirds. The Delaware Lottery will conduct the twice-weekly drawings on Mondays and Fridays from May 31 through June 30.

Additionally, Delaware small businesses will offer customer incentives to any Delawarean vaccinated so far, as well as during the program time frame. The Delaware Division of Small Business has launched the Small Business Incentive Fund to reimburse eligible qualifying businesses for incentives, which will include restaurants, bars, breweries, and gyms.

On June 30, to cap off the DE Wins! campaign, every Delawarean who has received the COVID-19 vaccine in Delaware will be entered to win a $302,000 cash prize and two low-number Delaware license plates, also conducted through the Delaware Lottery.

Delawareans vaccinated at locations managed by DPH and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), including Curative vaccination sites and DPH clinics, from May 25-June 29, will also receive a $10 gift card.

Visit DEwins.org for full details on prizes and eligibility.

Click here for official rules and guidelines.

“Our goal is to reach 70 percent of vaccinated adults in Delaware in the coming weeks, and to continue vaccinating as many Delawareans as possible against COVID-19,” said Governor Carney. “This incentive and public education campaign will help get us there. The science is clear. These vaccines are extremely safe and protective against COVID-19 infection and serious illness. Getting your shot is the best way to protect yourself and those you love.”

“Incentive programs are one of three key levers that are becoming widely recognized for increasing vaccine rates,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. “Along with education to tackle misinformation, and increasing access to vaccines by reducing logistical barriers such as offering free transportation and walk-in hours, incentive programs are another tool that can drive vaccine uptake among different audiences, particularly younger ones, by offering items that are seen as valuable and motivate them to act.”

“Businesses are now able to play a key role in increasing Delaware’s vaccination number, and we’re looking forward to seeing the creative ways they propose to reward people for rolling up their sleeves,” said Jordan Schulties, Director of the Delaware Division of Small Business. “The program will also drive customers to participating businesses – an added benefit as they look optimistically toward post-pandemic success.”

As of Monday, May 24, Delaware providers had administered 881,281 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 65 percent of Delawareans 18 or older have received at least one shot.

“The Delaware Lottery has many years of proven experience producing random numbers for various Lottery games in a secure and protected manner,” said Vernon Kirk, Director of the Delaware Lottery. “No Delaware Agency operates in a more audited environment. The Lottery is proud to provide the same randomization process to this extremely important phase of Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination program.”

“We know people love our Delaware State Parks, and we would also love for everyone in the state to get vaccinated, so we are happy to make one the enticement for the other,” said Shawn Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Resources and Environmental Control. 

“The Wilmington Blue Rocks are proud to partner with the State of Delaware and DE Wins,” said Kevin Linton, Director of Community Affairs for the Wilmington Blue Rocks. “We are eager to see more Delawareans get vaccinated, and we hope that offering Blue Rocks baseball tickets will incentivize fans to do so.”

“The Delmarva Shorebirds are excited to participate in this program and to encourage everyone in our region to get vaccinated,” said Chris Bitters, General Manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds. “The lucky winners will be able to enjoy the VIP treatment at a Delmarva Shorebirds game during the 2021 season. Getting vaccinated not only protects our fans but continues to allow venues like the Delmarva Shorebirds to provide a sense of normalcy again for everyone.”

“Funland is excited to be involved with the state’s vaccine incentive program,” said Chris Darr, Personnel Manager and Fourth Generation Family Member of Funland. “Our family is always looking for ways to support our community and this is certainly a great opportunity to help.”

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COVID-19 Vaccination Event: Saturday, April 24 (First Dose)

Vaccination Event Information:

If you:

  • live in Delaware, or work or receive health care in Delaware, or
  • are a student at a Delaware college, or a Delaware resident who attends college elsewhere

you may sign up here for a first dose of Moderna vaccine on Saturday, April 24 at Dover International Speedway.

For students at Delaware colleges (DCAD, DSU, DTCC, GBC, UD, Wesley, Wilmington), you do not need to be a Delaware resident to be vaccinated, and may be either a full- or part-time student.

This vaccination event will use the Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses at least 28 days apart to be fully effective, meaning a second dose will be due on or after May 22. This second dose event will occur in Dover but not at Dover International Speedway. You will receive information when you are vaccinated, or by email later, about how to receive your second dose.

You must be 18 or older to receive this vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for those under age 18. Do not make an appointment if you are under 18.

 

[CLICK HERE TO REGISTER]

Once you are on the registration site, please choose a time and then complete the information on the next page in order to make an appointment.

***Please note the following important instructions for the day of the vaccination *** 

  • If you are a Delaware resident, please bring photo identification or other proof of residency and confirmation of your appointment.
  • For non-resident individuals who work or receive health care in Delaware, you will have to show proof that you work in Delaware, such as a paystub or workplace ID, or are medically treated in Delaware, such as a medical bill. Please also being confirmation of your appointment.
  • If you are a student at a Delaware college who is not a resident, please bring photo identification, a student ID or other proof you are a Delaware college student, and confirmation of your appointment.
  • This is a drive-through event; you will remain in your vehicle to be vaccinated.
  • Please arrive at Dover International Speedway at the time of your appointment. Arriving earlier will only cause you and others to have to wait longer.  
  • Only individuals with appointments will be vaccinated, but multiple people with appointments may arrive in the same vehicle.
  • Please enter Dover International Speedway at 1000 Leipsic Road, Dover. Do not use the main entrance to the Speedway and Dover Downs Hotel and Casino from Route 13.   
  • Please print and fill out the vaccination information form and pre-vaccination screening found at https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2021/04/2021-04-13_ir_form-English-1.pdf . You should fill the fields marked in yellow, NOT FIELDS MARKED IN GREEN. The pre-vaccination screening questions are about your health on the day of your appointment. If you cannot print and fill out the form in advance, copies will be available on site. This form is required for a second dose even though you filled it out for your first dose.
  • If you have experienced dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting after any previous vaccinations or skin injections (like an IV of blood donation), please have someone else drive you to and from your vaccination appointment. Please also tell the person administering your vaccine about your history with any of these symptoms.
  • If you have a disability for which you need an accommodation during your appointment, please call 1-833-643-1715 and press option 3, or email vaccine@delaware.gov 

 

Thank you for protecting yourself and your community by being vaccinated.

 

Date: 04/24/2021 (Sat.)

Location: Dover International Speedway

1000 Leipsic Rd, Dover, DE 19901


Governor Carney Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Program Fully Open

Medical providers, hospital systems may vaccinate Delawareans 16+ without high-risk medical conditions

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) on Tuesday announced that medical providers, including hospital systems, may now vaccinate Delawareans aged 16 or older – whether or not they have a high-risk medical condition.

The state’s COVID-19 vaccination program is now fully open to Delawareans 16+ at any vaccination provider. As of Monday, April 12, Delaware providers had administered 568,003 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This news means that any eligible Delawarean who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should be able to get one – whether it’s at their doctor’s office, a local pharmacy, or a community vaccination event,” said Governor Carney. “We’re vaccinating thousands of Delawareans each day. I’d encourage all Delawareans to get the shot. If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor, or members of your family and friends who have already received the vaccine. That’s how we’ll beat this virus.”

Visit de.gov/covidvaccine for information on Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

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.  

Visit de.gov/coronavirus to get the latest on Delaware’s response to COVID-19.

Visit de.gov/gettested to learn more about free COVID-19 testing.

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