First pediatric COVID-19 death reported in Delaware

The Delaware Division of Public Health on Jan. 8 reported the first death of a child from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

The 5-year-old child from New Castle County had a significant number of co-morbidities, said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

“While each life lost as a result of this virus is tragic, the loss of a child is felt across our entire community,” she said in a press release. “We send our deepest condolences to this child’s family and all of those who have lost a loved one during this pandemic. We are urging everyone in our state to come together, take this current winter surge seriously, remain vigilant about mitigation measures, and keep each other safe.”

Patient privacy laws prevent further information on the child to be released.

A total of 957 Delawareans have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The state reported 31 additional deaths since last week's update. Delawareans who have died from COVID-19 range in age from younger than 5 to 104 years old. Of those who have died, 487 were female and 470 were male; 476 were from New Castle County, 171 were from Kent County and 310 were from Sussex County.

A total of 63,503 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to DPH since March 11, 2020. A record number of new positive cases – 1,241 positives – was reported Jan. 6, and the seven-day average increased to 778.6 as of Jan. 7. The state also hit a new high for hospitalizations Jan. 5 with 458 patients.

The seven-day average for the percentage of persons who tested positive for COVID-19 as of Jan. 7 was 27.3 percent, an increase from 25.1 percent as of Dec. 31. DPH publishes both positivity rates – persons tested and total tests conducted – on its COVID-19 data portal. As of Jan. 5, the seven-day average for the percentage of total tests that were positive was 10.4 percent, an increase from 9.1 percent as of  Dec. 29. There is a two-day lag for presenting data related to percent of positive tests to account for the time between the testing date and the date DPH receives the result.

In addition, 451 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, an increase of 39 as of last Thursday. Fifty-nine of those hospitalized are critically ill, up one from last week.

As of Jan. 7, 21,814 administered doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been reported to the state’s immunization information system, DelVAX. Delaware’s latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics can be found under the Vaccine Tracker dashboard at de.gov/healthycommunity. Additional information about COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available at de.gov/covidvaccine. Questions can be directed to the Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715. People who are deaf or hard of hearing should call 2-1-1 or text their ZIP code to 898-211. Individuals can email questions about the vaccine to Vaccine@Delaware.gov.

Long-term care outbreaks

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 outbreaks since late September. Resident and staff tallies represent cumulative case totals between Sept. 25, 2020, and Jan. 7, 2020, and may not represent the most current number of active cases at each facility:

• Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation & Health Center in Millsboro: 21 residents and 18 staff
• Brandywine Assisted Living at Seaside in Rehoboth Beach: 39 residents and 15 staff
• Brookdale in Dover: 58 residents and 36 staff
• Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow in Middletown: 20 residents and 25 staff
• Cadia Healthcare Renaissance in Millsboro: 22 residents and 20 staff

• Cadia Healthcare Silverside in Wilmington: 58 residents and 46 staff members
• Cadia Healthcare Capitol in Dover: 47 residents and 34 staff
• Churchman Village in Newark: 63 residents and 47 staff
• Delmar Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delmar: 38 residents and 38 staff
• Dover Place in Dover: 39 residents and 23 staff
• Foulk Manor South in Wilmington: 29 residents and 30 staff
• Harbor Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Lewes: 51 residents and 23 staff
• Hillside Center in Wilmington: 23 residents and 18 staff
• Kutz Senior Living in Wilmington: 33 residents and 20 staff
• Lofland Park in Seaford: 19 residents and 17 staff
• ManorCare Health Services in Wilmington: 11 residents and 18 staff
• Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare in Milford: 49 residents and 14 staff
• Oak Bridge Terrace at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin: 16 residents and 14 staff
• Regal Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Hockessin: 90 residents and 41 staff
• Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington: 74 residents and 47 staff
• Seaford Center Nursing Home in Seaford: 21 residents and 19 staff
• The Moorings at Lewes in Lewes: 17 residents and 39 staff
• Westminster Village in Dover: 47 residents and 29 staff
• WillowBrooke Court Skilled Center at Manor House in Seaford: 44 residents and 36 staff
• WillowBrooke Court at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin: 13 residents and 14 staff

Staff members may include healthcare and non-healthcare personnel, such as facility vendors or other individuals working in the long-term care facility who may not be full-time facility employees. Facilities listed represent those that have had a cumulative total of more than 10 cases among residents and more than 10 cases among staff to date since the beginning of the outbreak monitoring period, Sept. 25, 2020. As facility outbreak investigations close, they will be removed from this list.

As of Jan. 7, there have been 1,980 positive COVID-19 cases cumulatively involving long-term care residents, and 512 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 (18)

Brackenville Center, Genesis Healthcare, Hockessin (18)

Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (34)

Brandywine Living at Seaside Pointe, Rehoboth Beach (4)

Brookdale Dover, Dover (9)

Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow, Middletown (13)

Cadia Healthcare Capitol, Dover (18)

Cadia Healthcare Renaissance, Millsboro (10)

Cadia Healthcare North Wilmington/Silverside, Wilmington (26)

Churchman Village, Newark (7)

Country Rest Home, Greenwood (11)

Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, Smyrna (13)

Dover Place, Dover (4) Foulk Manor South, Wilmington (3)

Forwood Manor, Wilmington (2)

Governor Bacon Health Center, Delaware City (1)

HarborChase of Wilmington, Wilmington (4)

Harbor Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Lewes (24)

Harrison House Senior Living, Georgetown (43)

Hillside Center, Wilmington (4)

Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Wilmington (8)

Kutz Senior Living, Wilmington (3)

Little Sisters of the Poor, Newark (11)

Lofland Park Center, Genesis Healthcare, Seaford (6)

ManorCare Health Services, Wilmington (14)

ManorCare Health Services, Pike Creek (23)

Methodist Country House, Wilmington (4)

Millcroft, Newark (2)

Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare, Milford (40)

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 (11)

Regency Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington (8)

Somerford House and Place, Newark (2)

Summit Assisted Living, Hockessin (3)

Sunrise Assisted Living, Wilmington (2)

The Center at Eden Hill, Dover (2)

The Moorings at Lewes, Lewes (4)

Westminster Village, Dover (13)

WillowBrooke Court Skilled Center at Manor House, Seaford (7)

WillowBrooke Court at Cokesbury Village, Hockessin (2)

Five other New Castle County long-term care facilities (1 death at each facility)

Two other Kent County long-term care facility (1 death at this facility)

One other Sussex County long-term care facility (1 death at this facility)

New school dashboard

The Division of Public Health has launched a new, schools-focused COVID-19 dashboard on its COVID-19 data portal. The dashboard tracks the number of contagious cases among staff and students of Delaware schools, and offers a more detailed picture of COVID-19 infection in school buildings. The new dashboard can be found at myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/locations/state/in-person-contagious.