Issue 490 - January 9, 2021
In This Issue:
  • Gov. Carney Issues Updated COVID-19 Restrictions

  • COVID-19 Stats Update

  • Delaware's Vaccine Plan Timeline

  • 151st General Assembly to Meet for the First Time
  • Stay-at-Home advisory, universal indoor mask mandate remain in effect
  • 10 p.m. restaurant and bar curfew lifted
  • Sports can resume with restrictions
 
Governor John Carney on Friday signed the fifth revision to his omnibus emergency order, continuing the stay-at-home advisory and universal indoor mask mandate that he initiated in mid-December to curtail the spread of COVID-19. 
 
However, the new revision lifts the 10 p.m. curfew he imposed on Delaware restaurants and bars. Establishments are still required to prominently display signage informing patrons at each table that they must be from the same household. Eateries are also mandated to share messaging on masking compliance.
 
Additionally, the modification also allows all games, matches, and competitions to resume, provided that the maximum occupancy is 30%, which includes athletes, coaches, and other employees or staff. One person may accompany an athlete and these people will not be counted towards the 30% limit. Additional spectators are not permitted to attend.  
 
Any individual who participates in an out-of-state tournament or competition must continue to immediately self-quarantine in accordance with Division of Public Health (DPH) guidance. Teams participating in any practice, game, match, or competition where COVID-19 spread is identified by the DPH must immediately refrain from continued participation in practices, games, matches, or competitions and individuals must quarantine. 
Delaware's Vaccine Plan Timeline
Phase 1A
Start Date: 12/15/2020
Health care personnel, emergency medical service agencies, and long-term care staff and residents will receive the vaccine first. 

Phase 1B
Start Date: Mid to Late January 2021
By the end of January 2021, those who are ages 65 and older, as well as those considered frontline essential workers including: police, fire, teachers, child care providers, food processing workers, correctional officers, and postal service, public transit and grocery workers will begin to be vaccinated. 

Remainder of Phase 1
Start Date: End of February 2021
Starting by end of February people in the following categories are expected to be eligible to receive a vaccine: 
  • Persons aged 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions (Obesity, Severe Obesity, Diabetes, COPD, Heart Condition, Chronic Kidney, Cancer, Smoking, Solid Organ Transplant, Sickle Cell Disease, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, Severe and persistent mental/behavioral health conditions)
  • Persons living in high-risk group settings such as correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and group homes.
  • Other essential workers (Transportation and Logistics, Food Service, Shelter and Housing (construction), Finance, IT and Communications, Energy, Media, Legal, Public Safety (Engineers), Water and Wastewater)

Phase 2
Start Date: Mid to Late April 2021
Beginning in mid to late April, persons aged 50 – 64, persons 16 – 49 with moderate-risk medical conditions, other in group settings who did not receive vaccine in the earlier phases, and essential workers not able to work from home at all times, are likely to receive the vaccine. 

(Followed by Phase 3 and Phase 4.)

For more vaccine information, click here.
Delaware's Latest COVID-19 Stats
  • There are 451 patients hospitalized due to complications associated with COVID-19, 59 of which are in critical condition.
  • All healthcare system indicators are in the green (see top graphic, above), including hospital capacity and ICU bed availability.
  • Thus far, 1,039,419 total tests for COVID-19 have been administered in Delaware, involving 528,890 persons tested. Of this latter number, 465,387 have been negative and 63,503 have been positive.
  • As of Tuesday, January 5, the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests that were positive was 10.4%, an increase from 9.1% from the previous Tuesday. This metric reflects the total number of specimens tested, including when an individual is tested more than once.
  • As of Friday (1/8), a total of 957 Delawareans are believed to have died due to complications from COVID-19. (854 have been confirmed).
  • 53.5% (512) of all Delaware COVID-19 suspected fatalities have been residents of long-term care facilities.
  • Seniors are disproportionately at-risk of serious consequences from COVID-19. 83% (796) of all suspected fatalities have been to those 65 years of age and older, even though this demographic has the third-lowest case rate for the virus of the six age groups tracked.
  • Less than 4% of Delaware's suspected fatalities (35) have occurred to those age 49 and younger.
  • The first Delaware fatality related to COVID-19 occurring to a minor (under the age of 18) was reported this week. According to state health officials, the victim "had a significant number of co-morbidities."

For more data on COVID-19 in Delaware, click here.
The 151st Delaware General Assembly Begins its 2021 Session on Tuesday
The members of the 151st Delaware General Assembly will meet for the first time Tuesday as lawmakers begin their 2021 legislative session.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, legislators will start their new session as they ended their last one -- virtually.

Tuesday's action in the House of Representatives will include the administration of the Oaths of Office, the adoption of House Rules, and the examination of the Certificates of Election.

While the General Assembly is meeting virtually this session, the public will have an opportunity to watch a live stream and will also be able to playback the recorded proceedings.

Committee meetings will be streamed online and citizens will be able to offer testimony during the virtual events.

The guidelines below outline how the public can watch and participate. These protocols are new and are a departure from how the legislature streamed and archived content last year:

  1. To watch the House and Senate's LIVE session proceedings: Go to legis.delaware.gov. Click on the appropriate link under "Live Proceedings" (near the upper right corner of the page).
  2. To watch the House and Senate's recorded proceedings: Go to legis.delaware.gov. Go to "MEETINGS & ARCHIVES” (found at the top right corner of the page) to access the archived material on YouTube.
  3. For the public to watch legislative committee meetings: Go to legis.delaware.gov. Go to the “Legislative Calendar” (middle left side of the page) for the list of committee meetings. Click on the appropriate committee meeting and then select "meeting link" to sign-up to receive a ZOOM link for that event. There will be an opportunity for public participation.
  4. There are currently no plans to record and archive committee meetings, so they will only be accessible as they are streamed.