The Delaware Division of Public Health reported an uptick in Covid-19 cases. in its monthly report, with Sussex County in the “high category
DPH continues to advise Delawareans to get booster shots.
Delaware also exceeded 3,000 Covid-related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels data tracker, last updated on June 14, case levels in Kent County are considered high, while case levels in New Castle and Sussex Counties are listed as medium. Kent has the lowest level of vaccinations.
DPH noted that people are expressing concerns about getting vaccinated or boosted, both because of reported lack of effectiveness against the circulating BA.5 variant and the expectation of updated vaccines in the fall.
About 66% of test results sequenced in June contained a variant strain, which means that one-third contained the original strain of Covid-19. Vaccines are highly effective against the original strain.
Approximately 45.3% of variants sequenced were BA.5; BA.2 still accounted for 38.7%. While the current vaccines may be less effective in preventing infection if one gets the BA.5 variant strain, vaccine doses offer some level of protection.
More importantly, vaccines remain highly effective at preventing more severe consequences, including serious illness, hospitalization and death against all variants, DPH advised
In making the case for boosters, DPH noted that immunity from initial vaccine doses lessens the chances of serious cases and complications.
Some people who have not gotten either their first or second booster plan to wait for the expected updated vaccines in the fall. The CDC is urging Americans not to wait. Getting a booster now will not exclude an individual from getting one in the fall.
Eligibility for a booster
- Five-plus and it has been five months since your second dose of Pfizer.
- 18-plus and it has been five months since your second dose of Moderna.
- 18-plus and it has been two months since your initial dose of Johnson & Johnson.
- Qualified for an “additional/third” dose of Pfizer or Moderna because you have certain immunocompromising conditions.
- You can get your second booster (fourth) dose four months after receiving your initial booster if you are 50-plus or are immunocompromised.
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations
- Total positive cases since March 11, 2020: 289,266*
- 7-day daily average of new positive cases: 306.7 an increase of 46.8 average new positive cases reported since June 17, 2022
- 7-day daily average for the percentage of total positive tests: 17.5 percentage points, an increase of 3.4 percentage points reported since June 17, 2022
- Hospitalizations: 127 current hospitalizations; critically ill: 14.
- Total Covid-19 deaths: 3,008, an increase of 31 since last month, including 25 deaths from a review of vital statistics
*Case and testing data are based on reporting of lab-confirmed Covid-19 tests only. The number of cases in the community is higher because of the use of at-home test kits.
All but the youngest Delawareans are now eligible to be vaccinated. On June 18, the CDC gave final authorization to both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children ages six months through five years old, making vaccines available to everyone ages six months and older. Additionally, the following week, the CDC authorized Moderna’s vaccines for children ages six to 17. Pfizer’s vaccine for this age group was already authorized. Just this week, the FDA granted full approval for Pfizer’s vaccine for ages 12-15. Information about the vaccine and where you can get your child vaccinated is available at de.gov/youthvaccine
COVID-19 vaccinations:
- Total number of doses administered in Delaware: 1,890,810
- Percentage of Delawareans 5+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 74.4%
- Percentage of Delawareans 12+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 78.6%
- Percentage of Delawareans 18+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 80.1%
- Percent of Delawareans who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 70.3%
For a vaccination location, visit de.gov/getmyvaccine. Delaware’s latest Covid-19 vaccination statistics can be found under the Vaccine Tracker dashboard at de.gov/healthycommunity.
COVID-19 case vaccination status report:
The report at left captures a weekly breakdown of non-boosted cases, deaths, and hospitalizations for the time frame of July 4 – July 10, 2022.
