By Bradley Vasoli Delaware’s only coal-fired energy power plant will cease operating in February, almost two years before its previously scheduled shutdown. PJM, the regional transmission organization (RTO) overseeing wholesale electricity movement in Delaware and a dozen other states, determined with transmission-line owner Delmarva Power that Indian River Power Plant Unit 4 can deactivate without compromising reliability or worsening consumer …
Delaware has become the first state to offer whole blood in ambulances across all its counties, marking a significant advance in emergency medical care. The milestone comes as paramedics report treating hundreds of patients since the program began in May 2023. New Castle County paramedics have now administered 151 units of whole blood, contributing to a statewide total of 250 …
Editor’s note: This report has been updated to reflect that Medicaid is not overseen by Public Health The Delaware Division of Public Health wants a 2025 budget of $167.4 million, but about $3.5 million of that is not in the governor’s recommended budget. That puzzled the chair of the state Joint Finance Committee, which writes the state budget. It’s in …
Delaware on Saturday, Nov. 12, will become the first to offer statewide lung cancer screening, using five facilities up and down the state. The day was chosen deliberately to remove barriers for people who can’t make it Monday through Friday because they work, or have to rely on someone who does. It also coincides with the American Cancer Society’s National …
It’s unlikely that a new surge of COVID-19 cases would trigger a mask mandate or switch to virtual schools, said the chief physician at the Division of Public Health. “At this point, we’ve had three years of experience,” said Dr. Greg Wanner, who also is an emergency physician. “We have now widespread availability of effective vaccines and treatments, which we …
The amount of prescription drugs turned in during Delaware’s spring Drug Take-Back day was up 9% this year. The event held April 22 brought in 4,629 pounds of unused or expired medication from 22 locations, compared to last fall’s 4,200 pounds. The event, sponsored nationally by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and handled locally by the Delaware Division of Public …
In another sign that COVID-19 is becoming a part of ordinary life, the Delaware Division of Public Health will close its COVID-19 call center and vaccine call center Tuesday because the number of calls has dwindled. It’s one more indication that the state and the federal government are starting to consider how to handle the ebbing of the pandemic as …
The number of post-holiday COVID-19 cases is dramatically down this year than it was last January, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health. This time last year, the state saw 3,666 new cases reported on Jan. 6 with 759 hospitalizations on Jan. 12. This year, there were 266 new cases reported on Jan. 6, with 202 hospitalizations (24 critical) …
The week after the state announced the first flu death of the season, the number of confirmed flu cases dropped for two weeks in a row, leading to hopes that infections may have plateaued. The drop to 1,014 cases for the week ending Dec. 17, follows a small decline from 1,125 cases the previous week and 1,154 cases the week …
A Red Clay Consolidated School District committee will hire an independent group to test for lead in water at district schools. The Lead in Water Action Committee will work with Batta, an environmental lab company that conducts tests for lead in water. “At this time we are working with our community experts, our facilities and maintenance department, and Batta to …
