Mask Mandate Effective Tomorrow

January 10, 2022

These are dynamic times, indeed. The State of Delaware will institute an indoor mask mandate again starting tomorrow at 8:00 am for all businesses regardless of size or industry.

“Our hospital systems are facing a crisis-level situation with record numbers of Delawareans seeking emergency care. We need all Delawareans in the fight as we face this winter surge of COVID-19 to make sure our hospitals are not overrun. I know we’re all exhausted by this pandemic. But at the level of hospitalizations we’re seeing, Delawareans who need emergency care might not be able to get it. That’s just a fact. It’s time for everyone to pitch in and do what works. Wear your mask indoors. Avoid gatherings or expect to get and spread COVID. Get your vaccine and, if eligible, get boosted. That’s how we’ll get through this surge without endangering more lives.” - Governor Carney

Businesses responsible for indoor settings open to the public are encouraged to provide disposable masks to customers who don’t have them - and to post signage about the indoor mask requirement. Click here for a downloadable sign for businesses. Additional signs will be available here.

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For our part, our 185th Annual Dinner was to be held tonight, but that has been postponed until Monday, April 4. The event is planned to be in-person with a virtual option. Other upcoming State Chamber events will be virtual for now. We hope that a slowing of the current spread will occur in the coming weeks so that plans to be together can resume.

The General Assembly resumes virtually tomorrow for the second leg of the 151st legislative session. As we kick off session, several bills are of interest to the business community, including paid family and medical leave, recreational marijuana legalization, legislation around data brokers and consumer protection, and more. You can view our 2022 policy priorities here. We encourage you to provide us feedback and become involved in conversations around bills that impact your business.

Finally, if you missed our webinar with Dr. Marci Drees of ChristianaCare last Friday afternoon, this is worth watching. She answered many of the questions employers and employees are asking about testing, vaccines, how long to isolate, and more.

Uniquely Delaware

News You Can Use

Open jobs, inflation, and interest rate increases are on everyone’s mind. On Tuesday, those topics will be part of the speeches many Fed regional presidents deliver, and probably the Fed Chairman at his confirmation hearing. On Tuesday, we’ll also receive the December NFIB small-business index results. Wednesday brings us consumer price index results, while on Thursday and Friday we will see December retail sales, import prices, and industrial production results, as well as several other Fed speeches.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

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