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With COVID cases rising, Public Health recommends masking indoors

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Health

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The number of daily COVID-19 cases has risen in the last month from 157 per day to 547, the Delaware Division of Public Health reported this weekend.

Those cases are the ones they know about. Many people are testing positive at home and not reporting it.

While the number of cases are rising, the number of hospitalizations and deaths are significantly lower than the winter surge, which saw thousands of new cases per day with hospitals strained to handle patients and businesses struggling with sick or quarantined workers.

Because of the spring rise, Public Health is encouraging people to wear masks in public indoor areas, and to be vaccinated and boosted.

“Staying up to date with your vaccinations is the best way to ensure your body is prepared to fight against severe cases of COVID-19,” a Public Health press release said.

The state said Saturday that:

  • Delaware has seen 271,294 cases reported since March 11, 2020.
  • The 7-day daily average of new positive cases as of Thursday was 574.7, up 417.6 since April 22
  • The 7-day daily average for the percentage of total positive tests: 19.0 percentage points, up 11.4 since April 22
  • Hospitalizations are at 127 with 13 critically ill
  • 2,939 Delawareans have died from COVID, up 43 since last month
  • Of the recently dead, 9 were reported deaths and 34 came from reviews of vital statistics records

Public Health offered stats showing that most people who got ill or were hospitalized had not had a COVID vaccine booster shot.

From May 9 – May 15, The state saw 3,464 new cases reported. Of those 2,406 had not been boosted, which is 69%. There were 179 people hospitalized and 127 of those had not been boosted, which is 71%.

It also said five people died that week, and three were not boosted.

Public Health also reported these vaccination rates, based on data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Delawareans 5+ are fully vaccinated: 73.6%
  • Delawareans 12+ are fully vaccinated: 77.8%
  • Delawareans 18+ are fully vaccinated: 79.3%
  • Delawareans who are fully vaccinated 69.5%

 

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