Educator vaccinations expanded through state events and federal partnership with Walgreens; Vaccinations also to begin at poultry plants

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday announced an expansion of Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination program for educators, school staff, and child care workers – in line with President Biden’s commitment to provide at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to school personnel by the end of March.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), and the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) will host large vaccination events on Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14 for educators, school staff, and child care workers at Dover International Speedway. Early next week, DDOE will extend invitations for the Speedway event to educators, school staff and child care workers who have expressed interest in vaccination.

Additionally – through a partnership between the federal government and Walgreens pharmacies – educators, school staff and child care workers can also sign up for appointments at Walgreens to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To prioritize educator vaccinations in Delaware through March and in accordance with federal guidance, Walgreens will pause new vaccination appointments for other eligible populations.

Educators, school staff and child care workers can visit Walgreens.com to seek a vaccination appointment at Walgreens. Due to supply constraints, there are a limited number of appointments currently available today. Several thousand appointments will be available starting next week, as Walgreens receives additional supply from the federal government. Educators, school staff, and child care workers will be notified when these additional appointments become available.

The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), in partnership with Albertsons Pharmacy, already has vaccinated more than 5,500 educators and school staff, or roughly a third of those who expressed interest in vaccination, and more than half of the 5,500 are fully vaccinated. More than 2,200 Delaware child care workers have also received at least their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. DDOE will continue to host regular K-12 and child care vaccination events and notify educators as additional appointments become available at Walgreens. 

Delaware is currently in Phase 1B of its COVID-19 vaccination program. Visit de.gov/covidvaccine to learn more.

Also on Friday, the State of Delaware began shipping doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to poultry companies to begin vaccinating their most vulnerable workers. The State of Delaware and its partners have administered 253,535 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of midnight Friday, March 5.

“We are building on our ongoing efforts to prioritize vaccinations for educators, school staff and child care workers across our state who have stepped up throughout this COVID-19 crisis,” said Governor Carney. “Our goal remains the same. We want to distribute this life-saving vaccine in a way that’s fast and fair. Until we can vaccinate enough Delawareans, let’s continue to follow the basic health precautions. Wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Stay vigilant.”

DDOE, through its partnership with Albertsons Pharmacy, has coordinated the vaccination of education personnel and child care providers since late January. More than 16,000 educators and school personnel requested vaccination through DDOE. Roughly 4,000 child care providers also requested vaccination.

Learn more about Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination program at de.gov/covidvaccine. 

Find testing events and locations at de.gov/gettested.   

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

Anyone with a general question about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211, or email delaware211@uwde.orgHours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.  

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

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DOVER (Nov. 24, 2020) – With more than 47,000 tests completed last week, Delawareans across the state are heeding the call to get tested for COVID-19, and more tests are being conducted than at any point during the pandemic. As the demand for COVID-19 testing increases ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) are providing updates regarding community testing sites in Delaware.

Community pop-up testing site visits increased by 40% in the last 10 days, which has led to increased wait times in some cases. While on-site staff are doing their best to accommodate walk-ins in addition to those with reservations, there may be situations when walk-ins must be turned away. Community sites operated through Walgreens and the Division of Public Health clinics have also seen increased volume over the past several days.

“Curative testing sites have been averaging over 7,000 tests a day,” said DEMA Director A.J. Schall. “We are doing everything possible to accommodate everyone who wants to get tested, but we ask that you plan ahead and be patient.”

Because of the increased testing demand, test result turn-around times may take longer. The public is urged to remain patient as laboratories work to process tests as fast as possible. In addition, the high number of positive cases reported may also lead to a delay in positive individuals and their contacts receiving a call from the DPH contact tracing team. Individuals who test positive are advised to immediately self-isolate for at least 10 days from the date symptoms started (or the date of the test for those who do not have symptoms), and contact anyone who they had direct contact within the 48 hours prior to symptom onset or test date.

Members of the public seeking testing this week are highly encouraged to check the State’s testing webpage, de.gov/gettested, as testing locations and hours are limited this Wednesday and Thursday.

Update to Walgreens Testing Sites:

To best serve patients and to help eliminate traffic issues near Walgreens testing sites arising from increased testing volume, all Walgreens Pharmacy testing sites will move to a reservation-based system beginning Friday, Nov. 27. Testing sites will remain accessible through the drive-through except for the Lancaster Pike location in Wilmington, which remains an indoor site. All sites will operate by appointment only. As a reminder, all Walgreens test sites close for 30 minutes daily to allow a lunch break for staff. To reserve an appointment, visit picktime.com/DECOVID19test.

To help meet the increased testing demand this holiday season, the State of Delaware will expand its partnership with Walgreens and add five new sites across the state beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1. The new testing sites include:

• 4465 Summit Bridge Road, Middletown, DE 19709, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday
• 17248 S. DuPont Hwy., Harrington, DE 19952, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday
• 2 College Park Lane, Georgetown, DE 19947, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday
• 38627 Benro Drive #1, Delmar, DE 19940, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday
• 32979 Coastal Hwy, Bethany Beach, DE 19930, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday

These new sites are in addition to nine testing sites operated by Walgreens, as well as 11 other permanent testing sites – five State Service Center sites and six Public Health clinics – available throughout the state. Pop-up community testing sites continue to be offered each week. The full list of testing locations, hours, and registration options are available on Delaware’s COVID-19 website at de.gov/gettested.

“Testing is the best way to track the spread of COVID-19 and monitor for potential outbreaks,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “It’s important to remind the public, though, that a negative test is not a pass to forego necessary prevention steps. Wear a face covering in public, maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, frequently wash your hands, and limit gatherings — from meals to parties — to just those who live in your house.”

Delawareans over the age of 18 are encouraged to download COVID Alert DE, Delaware’s free exposure notification app to help protect your neighbors while ensuring your privacy. Download on the App Store or Google Play.

DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.

Individuals with questions about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211, or email delaware211@uwde.org. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.

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Partnership with Walgreens will Expand Testing in Delaware

DOVER (July 15, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) on Tuesday released an update to its coordinated statewide plan to ensure all Delawareans continue to have access to safe and efficient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing.

Delaware’s updated COVID-19 testing plan strives to address key considerations such as access, equity and cost. The plan is structured to provide specific strategies for key populations defined in its original testing framework released in May, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations, including elderly Delawareans, members of low-income and minority communities, and certain front-line essential workers.

“One of the cornerstones of this update is to provide consistent, stable testing availability to residents regardless of symptoms or insurance,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “The basis for our plan is to show that testing options for Delawareans have expanded greatly from when this pandemic first began, and that Delawareans have easy access to COVID-19 testing of their choice, when and where they need it. Testing, and knowing your COVID status, is a key mitigation strategy in battling this pandemic.”

Delaware’s updated COVID-19 testing plan balances the need for:

• Predictability: providing members of the community with easy access and consistent messages about where to get tested to help with early detection;
• Flexibility: the ability to be responsive to outbreaks and urgent needs; and
• Sustainability: using resources wisely given the projected duration of this pandemic.

From the health care systems to primary care practices and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), a range of partner organizations play a key role in the state’s COVID-19 testing strategy. Some testing services provide testing to individuals who are symptomatic or asymptomatic on a routine basis; other resources provide dedicated testing resources in response to community-based outbreaks. The Delaware testing strategy continues to evolve to one where all Delawareans have convenient access to testing when and where they need it. This includes an increased role for non-traditional venues such as pharmacies as well as urgent care centers, and even home testing kits, which are now more widely available.

The Division of Public Health also announced today a partnership with Walgreens to provide COVID-19 testing to residents, piloting the initiative at one location in each county starting Thursday, July 16. Participating locations include:

• New Castle County – Walgreens, 700 S. Ridge Ave., Middletown, DE 19709
• Kent County – Walgreens, 1215 S. State St., Dover, DE 19901
• Sussex County – Walgreens, 9202 Commercial Centre Drive, Bridgeville, DE 19933

Drive-thru pharmacy testing through this program will be available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week, and will be open to anyone who wishes to be tested, regardless of symptoms or insurance coverage. No appointment is required; however, individuals should be advised that initial wait times may vary depending on volume of traffic at a site. Walk-up testing will also be available on site at the external drive-thru location. Customers should not come into the pharmacy for COVID-19 testing. The tests administered through this program will consist of self-administered nasal swabs, where the patient swabs the inside front of their nose. The specimen samples will be processed through the Delaware Public Health Laboratory.

“The opening of these new COVID-19 testing sites are part of Walgreens’ ongoing commitment to provide greater access to testing in the communities we serve,” said James Satterfield, Walgreens regional healthcare director. “Walgreens has a long history of stepping up to support our customers and communities in times of need, and we’re pleased to be working in collaboration with the state of Delaware on this effort.”

DPH will work with Walgreens over the coming weeks to add additional pharmacy locations to the list of testing sites, and is in discussion with other pharmacy chains to participate in the same effort. DPH is also working with a company to automate registration and reporting of results from these tests.

Additional information about COVID-19 testing, including a map and calendar of all of the available testing sites throughout the state, can be found at de.gov/gettested. The webpage was also updated today to make testing information easier to locate and navigate.

Since March 11, DPH has identified a total of 12,969 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents, and a total of 518 individuals have died from complications related to COVID-19. In addition, 48 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, 10 of whom are critically ill. Updated statistics will be available at de.gov/healthycommunity during the noon hour today.

If you are sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste. Other symptoms such as headache or digestive symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or lack of appetite) have been identified as potential symptoms related to COVID-19 and may prompt further screening, action or investigation. If you are sick and need essential supplies, ask someone else to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy to get what you need.

If you believe you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have symptoms of illness, make sure to distance yourself from others, particularly vulnerable populations. Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions – including serious heart conditions, chronic lung conditions, including moderate to severe asthma, severe obesity and those who are immunocompromised, including through cancer treatment – may have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Individuals who have complaints about individuals violating public gathering restrictions should contact state or local law enforcement. Concerns that a business may be violating operating restrictions should be directed to: HSPContact@delaware.gov. Questions related to business re-openings or operations as businesses reopen should go to COVID19FAQ@delaware.gov.

Individuals with questions about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211, or email delaware211@uwde.org. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Medically related questions regarding testing, symptoms, and health-related guidance can be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov. Questions regarding unemployment claims should be emailed to: UIClaims@delaware.gov.

In addition, the Division of Public Health asks any Delaware health care, long-term care, residential, or other high-risk facility with questions or concerns to email: DPH_PAC@delaware.gov or call the DPH Call Center at 1-866-408-1899 and press ext. 2.

DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus. The latest COVID-19 statistics can be found on the Division of Public Health’s My Healthy Community data portal at de.gov/healthycommunity.

In a recent court filing in Delaware’s ongoing civil lawsuit against the pharmaceutical industry over the prescription opioid crisis, the State asserts Walgreens’ liability for its role in the addiction epidemic as both a pharmacy and a distributor and seeks to add Walgreens to the list of manufacturer and distributor defendants.

An amended complaint filed April 2 argues that two Walgreens entities, Walgreen Co. and Walgreen Eastern Co., Inc., distributed and filled prescriptions for large amounts of prescription opioids in Delaware between 2006 and 2014, controlling a substantial portion of the Delaware wholesale prescription opioid market during that time. Walgreens was an original defendant in the suit filed last year and was dismissed from the lawsuit in February 2019, but the court’s order allowed for additional information to be provided to argue that Walgreens should be added back in as a defendant.

The suit contends Walgreens failed in its duty to use due diligence to avoid filling orders for prescription opioids that could be diverted into illicit markets. The amended complaints also adds Walgreens to its Distributor Claims, which consist of negligence and consumer fraud claims.

The inclusion of pharmacies in Delaware’s suit makes it one of the nation’s only legal actions that targets every level of the prescription opioid distribution system for its alleged failure to meet legal obligations that have contributed to Delaware’s opioid addiction epidemic.

The suit in Delaware Superior Court names Purdue Pharma L.P., Purdue Pharma Inc., The Purdue Frederick Company, Endo Health Solutions Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., Amerisourcebergen Drug Corporation, Anda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., H. D. Smith, LLC, Walgreen Co., and Walgreen Eastern Co., Inc. as defendants. Delaware is represented in this litigation by the law firms of Gilbert LLP, Fields PLLC, Connolly Gallagher LLP, and Cross & Simon, LLC.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday that Delaware has joined the United States, the District of Columbia, and all 49 other States in settling allegations against Walgreens Boots Alliance (Walgreens). The agreement in principle settles allegations of fraudulently over dispensing insulin pens and violating the False Claims Act for billing Medicaid at rates higher than its usual rates for certain prescription drugs.

The first settlement resolves claims that from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2017, rather than dispensing the quantity of insulin called for by a patient’s prescription, Walgreens exceeded the prescription amount and falsified information on claims submitted for reimbursement to Medicare and Medicaid, including the quantity of insulin and/or days’ supply dispensed.

Walgreens admitted to programming its computer system to define a full box of five insulin pens as the minimum dispensing package size. This definition prevented Walgreens pharmacists from being able to dispense fewer than five pens even though a patient’s prescription called for a smaller number of pens. This resulted in state Medicaid programs paying for a substantial number of claims that the programs would not have approved if Walgreens had reported the correct supply of medication based on the prescription.

In the second settlement, Walgreens agreed to pay to resolve claims that it overbilled Medicaid by failing to disclose and charge the lower drug prices it offered through its Prescription Savings Club discount program. By doing so, Walgreens received more money in reimbursements from the states’ Medicaid programs than it should have.

“Medicaid is a critical public service that thousands of Delawareans depend on and is one of our State’s highest annual expenditures,” said Attorney General Kathleen Jennings. “Dishonest practices like overbilling and falsifying records undermine Medicaid’s solvency, violate public trust, and waste taxpayer money. Walgreens’ acknowledgement that they knowingly engaged in fraudulent over-dispensing signifies that we will not tolerate fraud and abuse in important programs like Medicaid.”

Under the settlement, Walgreens will pay the United States and the States a total of $269.2-million dollars under the two settlements. Delaware’s Medicaid program will receive a total of $586,000 from the agreements; $575,000 for the over-dispensing of insulin pens, and $11,000 for the false claims to Medicaid for the overcharging for discounted drugs.

“As conscientious stewards of taxpayer funding, we thank the Attorney General’s office for pursuing this case and reaching a settlement on behalf of our Medicaid program,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “While our Medicaid clients should expect to receive the medicine and the care they require, it is critical for us – at every level of government – to reduce unnecessary and wasteful health care spending.”

Walgreens, headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, and incorporated in Delaware, operates the largest retail pharmacy chain in the U.S., with 8,309 locations across all 50 states.