Delaware will not be moving to Phase III of the state’s economic reopening, Delaware Governor John Carney announced today. Carney says, “too many Delawareans are not following the basic public health precautions.”
Wilmington (DE): Delaware was expected to move into Phase III on Monday June 29, 2020, but over the week, Delaware’s coronavirus (covid-19) daily positive case counts have been slowly increasing.
Hair salons, barber shops, tattoo services, massage therapy services, nail salons, spas, facials, and similar services were permitted to reopen with 60% capacity Monday, but that won’t be happening.
“We intend to make a decision early next week regarding the start of Phase 3.,” Carney said in a statement.
Today, the division of health reported 91 additional positive cases and two new deaths. The most recent deaths ranged in age from 36 to 63. One individual was female and one was male. Both individuals were residents of New Castle County and had underlying health conditions.
“I know many Delawareans expected us to move into Phase 3 of economic reopening on Monday, June 29 – and that had been my hope, as well. But we are delaying that decision so we can get a better handle on what’s going on in Delaware and around the country.,” Carney said.
“Too many Delawareans and visitors are not following basic public health precautions. We’ve heard and seen concerns especially in our beach communities, in restaurants, in gyms, and at sporting events. Now’s not the time to let up. You’re required to wear a mask in public settings. Keep your distance from those outside your household. These are common sense steps that, frankly, are not that difficult to follow. And they’re a small price to pay for keeping our friends and relatives out of the hospital.,” Carney said.
“Today, we held a COVID-19 testing event in Rehoboth Beach. Results of that event should help us determine infection rates in our coastal communities. We’ll be monitoring this data – as well as compliance with public health requirements like mask-wearing and social distancing – as we make a determination about when Phase 3 should begin.”, Carney said.
At Tuesday’s weekly covid-19 press briefing, Carney reported that there had been an “uptick” in hospitalizations and a small rise in cases, especially in those 18 to 34 years old.
“If you’re at a party down at the beach house you’re probably not paying a lot of attention to wearing a mask — seeing an uptick there,” he said.
Carney also said that the jump in cases concerned him.
“In Delaware, we are beating this disease. We have flattened the curve. But that’s because Delawareans stayed home and made significant sacrifices to keep others safe. Make no mistake: COVID-19 has not gone away. We’ve seen what has happened in other states when folks let their guard down. Let’s not be one of those states.”
