Delaware’s rate of Covid-19 cases may have peaked. Still, the state has not seen the steep decline observed at other times during the pandemic.
Deaths continue to move toward the 2,000 mark.
In its Saturday report, 18 deaths were reported – four current deaths, four deaths from a review of Vital Statistics records and 10 deaths from a reporting delay. The deaths from the Vital Statistics review and the reporting-delay are from August and September.
Of those who died, seven were residents of Kent County, six were residents of Sussex County, and five lived in New Castle County. They ranged in age from their 40s to their 100s, and one was a resident of a long-term care facility. All 18 had underlying health conditions, and 14 were not vaccinated, while four were fully vaccinated. The total number of Covid-related deaths rose to 1,972.
The rate of daily positive cases has remained steady since mid-September.
The culprit is believed to be the faster-spreading Delta variant, which is mainly affecting those who have not been fully vaccinated.
Vaccination rates remain lower among younger people. Hispanic vaccination rates are above the state average for all ethnic groups. Most of Delaware’s elderly population is fully vaccinated.
Slightly more than half of Delawareans have been fully vaccinated, with percentages below that figure in Wilmington, as well as western portions of Kent and Sussex County.
For example, Delmar, on the southwest edge of the state has a 35% adult vaccination rate and nearly double the state average of new Covid-19 cases.
Neighboring TidalHealth Peninsula hospital in Salisbury, MD has been forced to. halt elective surgeries with overnight stays, due to Covid cases and those who did not seek treatment for other conditions during the pandemic.
Peninsula went so far as to set up a tent to handle a one-time treatment for early cases of 19 to relieve pressure on its emergency room.
Thursday night figures from the Delaware Division of Public Health showed more than 650 new cases.
No new deaths were reported after a dozen fatalities were reported in recent days.
- Click here for more detailed figures by county, ethnicity and in many cases zip code.
