Governor Carney Announces Additional COVID-19 Restrictions to Confront Winter Surge
Yesterday, Governor John Carney signed the fourth revision to the omnibus emergency order, announcing additional restrictions to confront the winter surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Delaware. Additional restrictions include:
Businesses above 100,000 square feet are limited to 20 percent of stated fire capacity.
All other businesses, including most retail stores and all restaurants, are limited to 30 percent of stated fire capacity.
Retail below 5,000 square feet, all Houses of Worship, and funeral services are limited to 40 percent of stated fire capacity.
A 10 p.m. curfew will be imposed at Delaware restaurants and bars.
Exercise classes at gyms are limited to 10 people and exercise machines must be spaced 10 feet apart
Indoor gatherings at businesses or indoor spaces open to the public must be limited to the lesser of 30 percent of the venue’s stated fire capacity, or 10 people.
Click here to read Governor Carney’s modification.
Employees are excluded from business capacity restriction calculations.
All new restrictions will take effect at 8 a.m. on Monday, December 14. Governor Carney’s fourth revision also formally authorizes previously announced restrictions:
Stay-at-Home Advisory: Delawareans are strongly advised to stay at home and not to gather with anyone outside their household from December 14-January 11 to reduce the dangerous surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Universal mask mandate: Delawareans and visitors must wear masks anytime they are indoors with anyone outside of their household.
Governor Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) also on Thursday announced a zero-tolerance enforcement policy for businesses during the Stay-at-Home advisory. A first violation of COVID-19 restrictions will result in an immediate civil fine. A second violation will result in closure, until the establishment submits a reopening plan approved by DPH.
Restaurants will remain at 30 percent capacity, but must have signage prominently displayed on the table stating that parties must be from the same household. Restaurants also must share messaging on masking compliance. Governor Carney’s fourth revision caps mall food courts at 20 percent of stated fire capacity, or 100 people, whichever is smaller.
Click here to read Governor Carney’s full omnibus order.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update: DPH Receives Ultra-Cold Storage Unit, Finalizes Recommendations on Initial Allocation
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced that the shipment of an ultra-cold storage unit arrived at the DPH warehouse on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The storage unit will be used to safely store Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which requires controlled storage at an ultra-cold temperature of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit).
The State could begin receiving initial doses of vaccine as early as next week if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine receives emergency use authorization in the coming days.
The Thermo Scientific Revco ultra-cold storage unit from Fisher Scientific has the capacity to hold nearly 300,000 doses of vaccine. This unit will allow storage of the Pfizer vaccine without the need for dry ice exchange, giving additional flexibility for vaccine distribution within the state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccine with ultra-cold storage requirements will be shipped directly from the manufacturer in sealed coolers that are packed with dry ice.
Vaccine providers can reference the CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit that has been updated with a COVID-19 Vaccine Addendum. The addendum provides information, recommendations, and resources to assist COVID-19 vaccination providers in properly storing and handling COVID-19 vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/admin/storage/toolkit/index.html
Also on Tuesday, the State’s Ethics Advisory Group met to consider the Division of Public Health’s most recent recommendations regarding which specific groups should receive the vaccine as part of the first phase of distribution in Delaware. DPH makes its recommendations based on the goals of reducing death and hospitalization from COVID-19, protecting critical health services provided by hospitals and other medical staff, while also reducing the burden of disease on those who face disparities.
Phase 1A of the state’s distribution plan, as approved by the Ethics Advisory Group and finalized by DPH, include residents of long-term care facilities and high-risk workers with routine exposure to infected individuals or materials in health or patient care settings. This includes the following:
Hospital staff
Emergency Medical Service providers who have direct patient contact
Public Health staff who have direct patient contact
Health care providers in outpatient settings
Pharmacy staff
Staff of long-term care facilities
DPH and the Ethics Advisory Group will continue to monitor recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for further recommendations regarding subsequent phases. Additional details will be shared as decisions are finalized.
DPH has also posted the most updated version of its framework (or Playbook) for vaccine distribution on the de.gov/covidvaccine website, and added a section on Vaccine Safety.