Author: Kate Smith

DOVER (March 17, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing eight additional positive cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) bringing the statewide total to 16. Seven of the eight individuals are New Castle County residents, and one is the first reported case in Sussex County. Four of these individuals are males, and four are females. The ages fall within the range of 18 to 70. All but one is self-isolating at home; one in New Castle County is hospitalized. Six of the seven New Castle County residents participated in the ChristianaCare Health System drive through testing Read More …

DOVER, DE (​March 4, 2020) – As part of the state’s response to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak that has impacted many countries, including the U.S., the Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the opening of a call center at its State Health Operations Center (SHOC) in Smyrna. The call center is open to take questions from the public, schools, medical providers, state agencies and community organizations. Hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours may be adjusted to accommodate for peak volume. Any changes will be communicated through press release Read More …

DOVER (March 4, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is investigating an outbreak of mumps cases among school-age children in New Castle County. As of March 3, 2020, DPH had identified nine cases of mumps as part of this outbreak, including seven confirmed cases and two probable cases. The confirmed cases involve five individuals at William Penn High School, one individual at George Read Middle School, both within the Colonial School District; and one individual at St. Georges Technical High School within the New Castle County Vo-Tech School District. No additional information about those individuals will be Read More …

DOVER (March 2, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that both pending test results for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have come back negative. These tests were the first to be run by the Delaware Public Health Laboratory, which began testing today. The results for the two individuals in Kent County, are considered presumptive negative, pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DPH will not be providing any additional information about these persons. Three Delawareans previously had been tested for COVID-19, and all three results were negative. Read more

The risk of coronavirus remains low for Delawareans and there have been no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Delaware to date. The Delaware Division of Public Health is leading the effort to ensure that Delawareans are prepared. The best practices to stay healthy and to avoid spreading germs: Wash your hands. Cover your cough. Disinfect surfaces frequently. Stay home if you are sick. Watch the full press conference here.

DELAWARE DETAILS PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) DOVER (Feb. 26, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is actively taking steps to prepare for community spread of the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19, as well as providing information to Delawareans about the actions they can take now to make preparations. To date, no one in Delaware has tested positive for COVID-19. “While the CDC’s comments this week indicate heightened concern, it is important to note that we have been making preparations all along to not only contain the spread of the disease, should it occur Read More …

DPH ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL FLU-RELATED DEATHS, PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO AVOID ILLNESS DOVER (Feb. 21, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) continues to urge individuals to take steps to prevent the flu as the number of confirmed flu cases continues to increase, and health officials announce additional flu-related deaths for the 2019-2020 season. To date, nine Delawareans have passed away due to flu-related complications during the 2019-2020 flu season. All nine individuals had underlying medical conditions. Most recently, an 83-year-old woman from New Castle County who was diagnosed with influenza A passed away this week due to complications from the Read More …

Eleven Americans evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship were confirmed to have the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the U.S. to 26. Now the State Department is under scrutiny for having flown them them back home on the same planes as uninfected Americans, ignoring advice from the CDC. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-diamond-princess-cruise-americans/2020/02/20/b6f54cae-5279-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html

Vaccinate Your Family has shared its 2020 State of the ImmUnion Report. Highlights: The vaccination of children born between 1994 and 2018 will prevent: 419 Million Illnesses 936,000 deaths $1.9 trillion in total societal costs Vaccines given in pregnancy reduce infants’ risk of hospitalization Due to the flu by 70% Due to whooping cough by 91%  Read the whole report!

DOVER (February 13, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that one of two pending test results for 2019 novel coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) has come back negative. The individual has been discharged from the hospital and is continuing to recover from their underlying illness at home. Test results for one other person are still pending from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are expected in the coming days. The individual, a New Castle County resident, remains hospitalized until test results are returned. No additional information is being provided about either individual. In Read More …