The Delaware Division of Public Health reported an additional death from coronavirus complications on Tuesday. The toll now stands at 629.
The individual was a Sussex County male in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility. The individual had no known underlying health conditions.
Of those tested, 6.8 percent were positive in the seven-day rolling average (up one-tenth of a percent from the previous day).
Figures are current as of Tuesday night.
The World Health Organization’s target for positive cases is 5 percent or below.
Only a few weeks ago, Delaware had seen a rate of positive tests in the 4.5 percent range. Fewer people taking tests and upticks in cases resulting from get-togethers tied to universities and other social events have been cited as reasons for the upturn.
At the weekly coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, Division of Public Health Director, Dr. Karyl Rattay reported an uptick in cases in the Wilmington and New Castle areas, as well as areas of Sussex County, including Bridgeville, the site of a controversial rodeo-concert that saw organizers fined $20,000.
No single event or activity has been traced to the increase in cases. Instead, members of households are testing positive.
Delaware has moved down from the top 15 in the number of tests per 100,000 population to 20th.
The state is well above the national rate of positive cases of 4.6 percent. Delaware’s rate is comparable with neighboring Pennsylvania, according to the widely followed Johns Hopkins dashboard.
Delaware has been seeing an uptick in the percentage of positive tests for Covid-19. However, hospitalizations have remained at a low figure.
Public health officials continue to monitor an apparent uptick in new daily cases this week and will continue to monitor for any specific hotspots where elevated virus transmission may be occurring throughout the state. The focus has been on university communities.
On Friday, the University of Delaware stiffened penalties for students ticketed at parties and get-togethers.
Earlier this week, the stare launched COVID Alert DE – a mobile app available in the App Store or Google Play that will help Delaware fight community spread of Covid-19.
The free mobile app – available to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, or attends college in Delaware – uses Bluetooth technology from Google and Apple to securely and anonymously alert users who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. App users may receive an exposure notification if they were in close proximity with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19 and also has the app downloaded on their phone.
Close proximity is defined as within six feet for 15 minutes or more. The app uses Bluetooth technology to recognize when other phones nearby are running the application. The app does not track those with or without the virus.
For further information, check out the dashboard below from the State of Delaware or for a deeper dive into breakdowns by age, sex, race/ethnicity, at the statewide, county, and, in some cases, ZIP code or census tract level log on to: https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/locations/state
