Governor John Carney on Monday signed a revision to the State of Emergency declaration, requiring Delawareans to wear masks in indoor public settings, including convenience stores, grocery stores, gyms, restaurants, bars, hair salons, malls, and casinos.
The mask requirement takes effect at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 11. Also on Monday, Governor Carney announced plans to extend the school and child care facilities mask requirements, and deployed additional members of the Delaware National Guard to assist with non-clinical operations inside Delaware hospitals.
Governor Carney on Monday announced that the mask requirements in K-12 public and private schools and child care facilities, which had been set to expire in early February, will be extended. The extension will ensure that Delaware students can attend school in-person without consistent disruptions.
Monday’s revision to the State of Emergency also eases State regulations to allow and incentivize recently-retired educators to return to the classroom as substitute teachers in an effort to keep children in school.
Both the public and school mask requirements apply to anyone kindergarten age and older. Children aged 2-5 are strongly encouraged to wear masks in public indoor settings, including schools and child care facilities. Children under 2-years-old should not wear masks due to the risk of suffocation.
Masks are not required outdoors or while eating or drinking in restaurants and bars, but otherwise should be worn. Churches and other houses of worship are exempted from the mask requirement.
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.
