Two COVID-19 deaths reported over the past week

The Delaware Division of Public Health reported two deaths over the past week as the percent of positives slightly increased to 4.6 percent.

A total of 17,752 positive cases of COVID-19 among Delaware residents have been reported to DPH since March 11, including 9,582 individuals who are considered recovered. The seven-day average for the percentage of persons who tested positive for COVID-19 increased slightly from 4.4% as of August 27, to 4.6% as of Sept. 3. In addition, 58 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Delaware, up one from 57 reported as of last Friday's update. Twelve of the hospitalized persons are critically ill, the same number of critically ill patients as last week.

A total of 606 Delawareans have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The state reported two additional deaths since last week's update. The total number of individuals who have died from COVID-19 ranged in age from 21 to 104 years old. Of those who have died, 319 were female and 287 were male. A total of 301 individuals were from New Castle County, 110 were from Kent County, and 195 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.

COVID Positive Cases at Delaware Psychiatric Center

Two clients and eight staff members at the Department of Health and Social Services’ Delaware Psychiatric Center have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 24. The first person to test positive on Aug. 24 is now recovered. The clients are isolated at DPC to decrease the spread of the virus and the staff are isolated at home. All clients, family members and staff have been notified. DPC has halted all reopening procedures and reverted to COVID Standard Operating Procedures, including no visitors or non-essential personnel allowed into the building. The Division of Public Health is actively involved and completing the case investigations. The Delaware Psychiatric Center is following the Division of Public Health’s recommendations for weekly COVID testing of all staff and patients for at least the next two weeks. 

Data Quality Review: To ensure the highest quality of data, the Division of Public Health’s epidemiology team regularly performs data quality audits of the state’s COVID-19 case records. DPH recently identified a technical issue that caused approximately 175-200 historical positive cases to be omitted from the state’s cumulative positive case count. All of these cases were processed through the state’s contact tracing program, however, they were not captured in the state’s statistical reporting on the COVID-19 data website. The technical issue identified has been resolved and should not impact future case totals. As DPH works to add these cases to the state’s tallies to most accurately reflect Delaware’s total positive case count, the public may notice an increase in the cumulative number of positive cases displayed on the My Healthy Community data portal over the weekend and early next week.

Delaware COVID-19 data:

The latest Delaware COVID-19 case statistics cumulatively since March 11, provided as of 6 p.m. Sept. 3 include:

• 17,752 total positive cases
• New Castle County cases: 8,415
• Kent County cases: 2,678
• Sussex County cases: 6,365
• Unknown County: 294
• Females: 9,524; Males: 8,198; Unknown Sex: 30
• Age range: 0 to 104
• Currently hospitalized: 58; Critically ill: 12 (This data represents individuals currently hospitalized in a Delaware hospital regardless of residence, and is not cumulative.)
• Delawareans recovered: 9,582
• 228,890 negative cases

Generally, Delaware is now considering patients recovered after at least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and/or improvement in symptoms, and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Individuals who tested positive who have not had any symptoms are considered recovered after at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 test with no subsequent illness.

Long-term Care Statistics:

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 (10)
• Cadia Healthcare Capitol, Dover (13)
• Cadia Healthcare Renaissance, Millsboro (9)
• Cadia Healthcare North Wilmington/Silverside, Wilmington (6)
• 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 (20)
• Harrison House Senior Living, Georgetown (40)
• Hillside Center, Wilmington (3)
• Little Sisters of the Poor, Newark (11)
• ManorCare Health Services, Wilmington (13)
• ManorCare Health Services, Pike Creek (20)
• Methodist Country House, Wilmington (4)
• Millcroft, Newark (2)
• Milford Center, Genesis Healthcare, Milford (35)
• New Castle Health and Rehabilitation Center, New Castle (11)
• 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 (5)
• Summit Assisted Living, Hockessin (3)
• Sunrise Assisted Living, Wilmington (2)
• Westminster Village, Dover (7)
• Six other New Castle County long-term care facilities (1 death at each facility)

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.