Gov. John Carney says the coronavirus disease curve is flattening in Delaware as hospitalizations decrease and the percentage of people testing positive declines.
Carney encouraged Delawareans, even those without symptoms, to take tests for COVID-19 that in many cases do not require an appointment. He spoke at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
State Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said a cautious approach is needed in citing the state reaching the sad milestones of more than 10,000 testing positive and more than 400 deaths reported today. (See related story on this site).
The hope is that more tests will give health care officials a better read on detecting and dealing with any outbreaks. Another tool is contact tracing that is used to determine who might have been exposed to a person testing positive.
“The virus is still out there,” Carney said in discussing the difficulties in reopening youth sports.
Carney admitted that the rules developed in allowing the sport are complex, but are needed. While young people rarely become seriously ill, the potential spread to grandparents and those with pre-existing conditions is not to be ignored, the governor stated.
Public health director Rattay said COVID-19 is a respiratory droplet disease that creates challenges when it comes to contact sports.
Rattay said the state hopes to have guidelines in place by Friday. Youth sports will resume on at least a limited basis on June 15.
Carney said the state has invested in paying to keep childcare centers open during the emergency order for essential employees. The state will be reimbursed for the costs from the federal CARES Act.
Child care centers will be open to all parents on June 15, the date that Phase 2 gets underway.
The state is also working to come up with an equitable way for sharing costs of coronavirus testing as more people return to work.
Most companies have health insurance and it is hoped that the coverage can be used to pay for the tests.
The state recently spent $30 million on 200,000 tests. New Castle County and health care providers are also providing tests. Reimbursements will come from CARES Act money received by the state. However, testing is expected to continue and will lead to long-term costs.
Figures from today indicated that about seven percent of the state’s population has been tested. The percentage of those testing positive has continued to decline.
