Gov. John Carney on Wednesday issued a second modification to his emergency declaration.
One change allows any restaurant, brewpub, tavern or taproom with a valid on-premise license to sell alcoholic beverages as part of transactions for take-out or drive-through food service.
Delivery of alcoholic beverages to your home and office has always been illegal in Delaware, one of the few states that does not allow wine or beer shipments.
The governor also extended the closing order from restaurants to gyms, The second update to the emergency declaration also requires the closure of bowling alleys, movie theaters, fitness centers and health spas.
Alcohol sales cannot exceed 40 percent of the total sales transaction. All other rules and regulations regarding the take-out of alcoholic beverages apply, including that containers must be securely closed.
Alcoholic beverages cannot be consumed on-site, neither indoors nor outdoors. This policy goes into effect at 8 p.m. tonight and will last until the State of Emergency is rescinded.
The change comes as restaurant owners said that carryout business will only account for a small percentage of inside dining.
Carney also announced the HELP program that offers interest-free loans of as much as $10,000 a month for smaller hospitality operations that have lost most of their revenues, due to the emergency order.
The second update to the emergency declaration also requires the closure of bowling alleys, movie theaters, fitness centers and health spas in a continued effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Delaware.
The updates go into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 19, and will last until the State of Emergency is rescinded.
Carney also temporarily lifted regulations to expand access to telemedicine. Under the modified declaration:
- Patients do not need to present in-person before telemedicine services may be provided.
- Delaware residents do not need to be present in Delaware at the time the telemedicine services are provided.
- Any out of state healthcare provider who would be permitted to provide telemedicine services in Delaware if they were licensed under Title 24 may provide telemedicine services to a Delaware resident if they hold an active license in another jurisdiction.
Wednesday’s modification to Governor Carney’s emergency declaration clarifies and preserves the following provisions that Governor Carney announced on Monday.
- Restaurants, bars and taverns shall only provide food and beverage service through take-out, drive-through, hotel room service, and off-premises delivery.
- Bans public gatherings of 50 or more people for eight weeks or until the State of Emergency is rescinded
- Closes gaming activity at Delaware casinos.
- Authorizes Delaware’s Secretary of Labor to develop emergency rules to protect Delaware workers and ensure that unemployment benefits are available for Delawareans whose jobs are affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
- Restricts senior center, nursing home/retirement facility, assisted-living facility, etc. to permit a gathering of more than 10 persons that includes any person aged 60 or over, or any person with an underlying health condition that puts any person in attendance at increased risk if exposed to COVID-19.
- Authorizes Delaware Emergency Management Agency and Delaware Division of Public Health to cancel gatherings for public health reasons.
