DELAWARE-Â Another holiday and another setback in the fight against COVID-19.
There were over 220 new cases over the last week with total hospitalizations at 107, both slightly higher than last week. Governor John Carney says indoor gatherings at restaurants or homes for St. Patrick's Day are the likely cause of the uptick.
"We really need to lean in to mask wearing," Carney said. "To making sure you are careful about social gatherings in restaurants and indoor spaces. Much safer to do gatherings with family and friends outside."
Delaware's COVID-19 vaccine waitlist for state-run events opened up this morning for people 50 and over.
As of now, vaccinerequest.delaware.gov is the only place where you can pre-register for a state-run vaccination event. Pharmacies have their own registration forms on their websites. Delaware Director of Public Health Dr. Karyl Rattay says there are also updates to the appointment system.
"When you get your invitation, you will get a unique code that you need to use in order to register for an event," Dr. Rattay said. "So, you can pick a day and a time for your appointment, That code can only be used once."
Dr. Rattay also commented on the CDC's latest guidelines for social distancing in schools. Three feet between students is allowed in classrooms and buses as long as mask wearing is enforced.
"While we will keep looking at this because we do understand it is a barrier for getting more kids to school, we are just not comfortable at this point going three feet," Dr. Rattay said.
Governor Carney says a supply of the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be arriving next week.