State pays $15 million for COVID testing company to work with schools

Betsy PriceEducation, Headlines, Health

A new program will check teaches and students for COVID-19, even if they don’t have symptoms.   Delaware will pay $15 million for the Quidel Corp. to provide routine COVID-19 testing, processing and reporting for Delaware teachers and students who have no virus symptoms. In many cases, a Delaware Division of Public Health press release said, Quidel’s rapid antigen tests …

Delaware records no COVID-19 deaths in last 7 days

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

  While Delaware’s percentage of new positive COVID-19 tests continues to drift up, vaccinations do, too. The Delaware Division of Public Health said Friday in a press release that the state is just 14 cases away from topping the 110,000 mark of COVID-19 cases reported tot he state. The seven-day average of new positive cases decreased to 24.1 as of …

One Delawarean diagnosed with Listeria, likely from ready-to-eat food

Betsy PriceHealth

Photo by Roger Brown of Pexels     A Delaware resident has been diagnosed with a case of Listeria, which is a serious food poisoning caused by bacteria. The Delaware Division of Public Health declined to give any details about the person or how they came in contact with the bacteria. But it did say the exposure is assumed to …

Delaware COVID-19 cases drift up a bit; vaccines up, too

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

  The state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard for Wednesday.   Delaware’s COVID-19 numbers have crept up slightly in the last 10 days. Tuesday’s state dashboard said the state is now averaging 27 new cases per day over the last week with a testing rate of 1.5%. That’s up from an average daily case rate of 14.1 the week of June 19-25, …

Rabid skunk caught in Newark; 2 being treated for exposure

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

The state Public Health department is warning people in a certain section of Newark about a rabid skunk. Photo by Bryan Padron/Unsplash   Two people whose dog found and killed a rabid skunk in their backyard are being treated for possible exposure to rabies. The Delaware Division of Public Health is advising people who live or spend time in the …

Delaware hits 70% vaccination mark before Fourth of July

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

Gov. John Carney and the state’s top public health officer on Thursday hailed Delaware hitting the federal goal of 70% of those eligible getting at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine before the Fourth of July. “That’s a big deal,” said Gov. John Carney in a press release. “It’s why we’re beating this virus and moving past this pandemic after …

Carney ends weekly press conferences about COVID-19

Daniel Larlham Jr.Headlines, Health

  In Gov. John Carney’s last weekly COVID-19 press briefing, state officials announced that the average life expectancy has gone down because of the virus and that pharmacies have been doing a larger part of vaccination over the last month.  Carney said last week that with a rising number of vaccinations and declining number of cases, and with his emergency …

State narrows gap between stats and Fourth of July vaccination goal

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

  Delaware is sitting at 69.8% of the eligible population vaccinated.   Delaware is thisclose to making its Fourth of July goal to give at least one dose of vaccine to 70% of those eligible to take them. The state said in a press release Monday afternoon that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 69.8% of Delawareans …

Friday’s COVID-19 numbers illustrate continuing decline in COVID-19 cases

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

  And the good news keeps coming. On Friday, 51 people were hospitalized in Delaware because of COVID-19. And only 48 new cases were reported on a seven-day average. The numbers illustrate the decline in the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. As of Thursday, a state Division of Public Health press release said, there have been 109,005 positive …

Delaware’s vaccine goal in June: Adding 17,000 more people

Betsy PriceGovernment & Politics, Headlines, Health

    Delaware wants to vaccinate 17,000 people between now and July 4 to meet the goal President Joe Biden has set to have 70% of the population vaccinated by the Fourth of July. Gov. John Carney says that means the state needs to vaccinate about 5,000 people a week for the next month. “And celebrate Independence Day like no …