COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations continue to rise

Positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise with its largest number of single-day cases reported since May by the Delaware Division of Public Health.

In DPH’s latest statistics, officials say the state saw its largest single-day case total since May with 465 new cases reported Nov. 12.

The seven-day average for the percentage of persons who tested positive for COVID-19 increased from 10.2 percent as of Nov. 5, to 12.8 percent as of Nov. 12. As of Nov. 10, the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests that were positive was 4.8 percent, up from 3.9 percent Nov. 3. There is a two-day lag for presenting data related to percent of tests that are positive to account for the time delay between the date of the test and the date that DPH receives the test result.

In addition, 130 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, an increase of 16 from the total as of last Friday’s update. Twenty-two of the hospitalized persons are critically ill, down five from last week

A total of 28,016 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to DPH since March 11, including 14,571 individuals who are considered recovered. The number of new daily cases each day this week has remained elevated with the seven-day average of 279.4. 

The Division of Public Health recommends Delawareans take the following actions to prevent further spread of infection in the community:

• Only dine socially (at home and in restaurants) with those who live with you
• Don’t spend time socially with people outside your household
• Don’t plan on holding holiday dinners with those outside your household – even family

“What we can see in our data is that social gatherings, whether at a house party, casual dinner, or restaurant, where people take off their masks while they eat, drink and chat, are the primary situations in which COVID-19 is being spread,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “It is just not safe right now to socially eat, drink, casually hang out or party with people outside of our household unless we are socially distanced and outside.”

A total of 734 Delawareans have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The state reported 18 additional deaths since last week's update, including seven as a result of a review of Vital Statistics records. The total number of individuals who have died from COVID-19 ranges in age from 21 to 104 years old. Of those who have died, 378 were female and 356 were male. A total of 365 individuals were from New Castle County, 122 were from Kent County, and 247 were from Sussex County.

To protect personal health information, DPH will not confirm specific information about any individual case, even if other persons or entities disclose it independently.

Delaware COVID-19 data

The latest Delaware COVID-19 case statistics cumulatively since March 11, provided as of 6 p.m. Nov. 12, include:

• 28,016 total positive cases
• New Castle County cases: 15,113
• Kent County cases: 3,956
• Sussex County cases: 8,854
• Unknown County: 93
• Females: 15,160; Males: 12,812; Unknown Sex: 44
• Age range: 0 to 104
• Currently hospitalized: 130; Critically ill: 22 (This data represents individuals currently hospitalized in a Delaware hospital regardless of residence, and is not cumulative.)
• Delawareans recovered: 14,571
• 347,207 negative cases

Aggregate school statistics

The Division of Public Health is providing statewide aggregate data on the total number of COVID-19 positive cases among students and staff who were in-person at a school or child care facility while potentially infectious, reported to DPH since Sept. 1, 2020. To determine the start of the infectious period, or when others may have been exposed to someone infectious, DPH looks 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms or 48 hours prior to testing for those individuals who had no symptoms. These data only indicate potential exposure to COVID-19 in these settings, not whether exposure actually occurred.

Total number of COVID-19 positive students and staff, statewide, who were in-person at a school or child care facility while potentially infectious, reported to DPH between Sept. 1 and Nov. 12:

*To protect personal health information, totals less than 10 are not shown.

Long-term care statistics

Information related to positive cases and deaths among residents at long-term care facilities will be updated weekly each Friday, using information reported as of 6 p.m. Thursday. There have been a total of 1,568 positive COVID-19 cases cumulatively involving long-term care residents, and 423 residents of Delaware long-term care facilities have died from complications related to COVID-19.

The locations and number of deaths involving residents of long-term care facilities are:

• Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation and Health Center, Millsboro (17)
• Brackenville Center, Genesis Healthcare, Hockessin (18)
• Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (34)
• Brandywine Living at Seaside Pointe, Rehoboth Beach (2)
• Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow, Middletown (11)
• Cadia Healthcare Capitol, Dover (14)
• Cadia Healthcare Renaissance, Millsboro (9)
• Cadia Healthcare North Wilmington/Silverside, Wilmington (19)
• Country Rest Home, Greenwood (9)
• Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, Smyrna (11)
• Governor Bacon Health Center, Delaware City (1)
• HarborChase of Wilmington, Wilmington (4)
• Harbor Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Lewes (23)
• Harrison House Senior Living, Georgetown (42)
• Hillside Center, Wilmington (3)
• Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Wilmington (8)
• Kutz Senior Living, Wilmington (2)
• Little Sisters of the Poor, Newark (11)
• Lofland Park Center, Genesis Healthcare, Seaford (5)
• ManorCare Health Services, Wilmington (13)
• ManorCare Health Services, Pike Creek (23)
• Methodist Country House, Wilmington (4)
• Millcroft, Newark (2)
• Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare, Milford (37)
• New Castle Health and Rehabilitation Center, New Castle (12)
• Newark Manor Nursing Home, Newark (11)
• Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation, Wilmington (26)
• Pinnacle Rehabilitation and Health Center, Smyrna (24)
• Regal Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Hockessin (6)
• Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (2)
• Summit Assisted Living, Hockessin (3)
• Sunrise Assisted Living, Wilmington (2)
• The Moorings at Lewes, Lewes (3)
• Westminster Village, Dover (7)
• Five other New Castle County long-term care facilities (1 death at each facility)

The Division of Public Health continues to investigate COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities throughout the state. The following facilities have experienced significant ongoing outbreaks since late September. Resident and staff tallies represent cumulative case totals between Sept. 25 and Nov. 12.

• Kentmere Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Wilmington; 54 residents and 43 staff members
• Cadia Healthcare Silverside in Wilmington; 45 residents and 35 staff members.
• Country Rest Home in Greenwood; 31 residents and 20 staff members
• Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington; 73 residents and 35 staff
• Lofland Park in Seaford, 19 residents and 10 staff
• Cadia Helthcare Capitol in Dover; 39 residents and 17 staff
• Delmar Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delmar; 19 residents and 15 staff
• The Moorings at Lewes in Lewes; 14 residents and 12 staff
• Oak Bridge Terrace at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin; 13 residents and 11 staff

Additional demographic data on COVID-19 cases and deaths, including race/ethnicity, more age-specific data and rates information by ZIP code, and information on Delaware's contact tracing efforts can be found on the Division of Public Health's My Healthy Community data portal at de.gov/healthycommunity.