5/14/2020 Update
Governor Carney Announces June 1 as Target for Phase I
On Friday, May 8, Governor John Carney announced June 1 as the target date for Phase I of Delaware’s economic reopening. Governor Carney has extended Delaware’s State of Emergency declaration, including the stay-at-home order and its other modifications, through May 31.
Details about Phase I of Delaware’s economic reopening will be released this week, but the general framework about Delaware's recovery effort can be found here. Entering Phase I is contingent on the State of Delaware’s ability to contain the COVID-19 hot spot in Sussex County, and continued positive trends in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations statewide.
Click here to read the full announcement.
Statewide Contact Tracing Plan
On Tuesday, May 12, Governor Carney announced that the State of Delaware entered into an agreement with the nonpartisan research institution NORC at the University of Chicago to build Delaware’s statewide contact tracing program to contain COVID-19, limit Delawareans’ exposure to the disease, and restart Delaware’s economy.
The contact tracing program builds on Delaware’s statewide plan to test up to 80,000 Delawareans monthly for COVID-19. Expanded testing and contact tracing efforts are key to reopening Delaware’s economy under guidance from the White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NORC also has partnered with the State of Maryland to perform contact tracing. Delaware and Maryland will share information to more effectively monitor COVID-19’s spread across state lines.
Approximately 200 Delawareans will be hired as contact tracers and support staff.