A sharp decline in Covid-19 cases and hospital stays continued during the past week.
However, the Delaware Division of Public Health cautioned that the virus is alive and well while strongly recommending vaccinations and booster shots.
The indoor masking mandate in Delaware expired on Friday.
Over the past month, Delaware saw the rate of positive tests decline from 32% on Jan. 11 to 10% on Feb. 10.
In making a case for vaccinations, DPH noted that between Jan. 7 and Jan. 23, the height of the latest surge, 82% of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Delaware had not received a booster shot. The same was true for 81% of patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study from April to December of 2021 showed people who were not vaccinated were five times more likely to contract Covid-19 than adults who had been fully vaccinated and received a booster. Another CDC study showed that a booster shot reduces the need to go to the emergency room or being hospitalized by 94% compared to being unvaccinated.
“We know that getting vaccinated and boosted is key to reducing the chance of getting sick,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Boosters are effective and extremely important for preventing infections but, more importantly, hospitalizations and deaths. Unfortunately, we surpassed 2,600 Covid-19 related deaths this week. We have lost more than 400 Delawareans since Thanksgiving, most of whom were not up to date with their vaccines.”
Covid-19 Cases and Hospitalizations:
- – Total positive cases since March 11, 2020: 253,010
- – Seven-day average of new positive cases: 378.7, a decrease of 228 from last week.
- – Seve-day average for the percentage of total positive tests – 10.2%, a decrease of 5.3 percentage points from last week
- – Hospitalizations: 202, a decrease of 120 from last week.
- – Critically ill: 21, a decrease of 15 from last week
- – Total Covid-19 deaths: 2,601
- Total deaths reported since last week: 38, including 12 from a review of vital statistics records.
Covid-19 vaccinations:
- – Total number of doses administered in Delaware – 1,669,853
- – Percentage of Delawareans five+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data) – 70.8%
- – Percentage of Delawareans 12+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data) – 75.4%
- – Percentage of Delawareans 18+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data – 76.9%
- – Percent of Delawareans who are fully vaccinated (CDC data) – 66.8%
COVID-19 Case Vaccination Status Report:
The following reports capture a weekly breakdown of vaccination status for cases, deaths, and hospitalizations for the time frame for Jan. 31-Feb. 6.
| Weekly Overview (1/31/22 – 2/6/22) | |
| Unvaccinated Cases | |
| Total Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Cases | 1838 |
| Total Cases | 3294 |
| Percent of Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Cases | 56% |
| Hospitalizations | |
| Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Hospitalized Cases | 61 |
| Total Hospitalized Cases | 101 |
| Percent of Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Hospitalized Cases | 60% |
| Deaths | |
| Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated COVID-19 Deaths | 22 |
| Total COVID-19 Deaths | 29 |
| Percent of Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated COVID-19 Deaths | 76% |
| Weekly Overview (1/31/22 – 2/6/22) | |
| Non-boosted Cases | |
| Total Non-boosted Cases | 2699 |
| Total Cases | 3294 |
| Percent of Non-boosted Cases | 82% |
| Non-boosted Hospitalized Cases | |
| Total Non-boosted Hospitalized Cases | 82 |
| Total Hospitalized Cases | 101 |
| Percent of Non-boosted Cases | 81% |
| Non-boosted Deaths | |
| Total Non-boosted Deaths | 25 |
| Total COVID-19 Deaths | 29 |
| Percent of Non-boosted Cases | 86% |
Breakthrough cases (cumulative since vaccinations began)
- Total breakthrough cases: 21,004, or 3.56% of fully vaccinated individuals
- Total breakthrough hospitalizations: 240
- Total breakthrough deaths: 230
A breakthrough case is defined as testing positive for COVID-19 after an individual has been fully vaccinated for two weeks or more.
Variants (from the My Health Community website)
Omicron variant accounts for nearly 99% of all cases, based on sampling by DPH.
Correction
Story includes corrected figures for hospitalizations and positive cases between Jan. 31 and Feb. 6 for those who
