Delaware News Journal
Following surges in COVID-19 cases in late March and mid-April, the number of new infections has begun to drop in Delaware and across the region.
Over the past week, Delaware has averaged 275 cases per day, down 25% from the week prior.
The First State has been among the nation s leaders in new coronavirus cases per capita for several weeks. State officials last week said Delaware was seeing general community spread with increasing case counts not linked to any one or two specific behaviors.
In a statement, Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said it s too early to determine with certainty what contributed to the decline in cases. She said it could be related to multiple factors such as slight declines in testing and increased vaccinations.
Delaware News Journal
Rafael Flores had not seen a health care provider since he arrived in the U.S. from Honduras four years ago.
But that changed Tuesday as the Bear resident waited outside of the Saint Clare Medical Outreach Van in hopes of having a small piece of debris removed from his eye.
The debris fell in his eye Monday while cleaning his backyard, but he didn’t notice until he woke up with a distressed eye this morning. Since he was uninsured, a few of his friends recommended the van parked at the Job Placement Center on Lancaster Avenue Tuesday as a potential solution to his problem.
The Vax Machine, which is a part of CarePortMD, operates as a mobile vaccination site in hopes of reaching Delaware’s vulnerable and underserved communities that face multiple barriers in getting vaccinated. Adorned with a smiling blue cartoon syringe alongside multiple little green germs seemingly floating away in terror, the two Vax Machine buses in operation are making the rounds across the state, with plans for two more buses.
Dixon said he was elated the Vax Machine came to his neighborhood and described the bus as a “heaven-sent” solution for him and others who can’t get to large vaccination centers or events.
WHYY
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Dr. Rick Pescatore fires off a series of questions to each person who sits before him, after they wait in the hallway of the Rose Hill Community Center south of Wilmington.
Are they allergic to anything? Do they take blood thinners? Have they been vaccinated within the last 14 days?
Once his queries are answered to his satisfaction, Pescatore instructs each patient to roll up their sleeve, aims a needle at their arm, injects them with their first dose of the two-shot Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, and directs them to the observation room to be monitored for adverse reactions.
Dr. Rick Pescatore, chief physician at the Delaware Division of Public Health, gives a shot of the Pfizer vaccine to Brenda Jones at the Rose Hill Community Center. (Cris Barrish/WHYY)
Gov. John Carney, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) have announced the list of community testing sites throughout Delaware this week. Testing locations listed below include pop-up and Curative trailer sites.
DEMA has coordinated community sites this week in addition to permanent testing sites at Walgreens and at various hospitals and healthcare locations. Delawareans can view a full list of COVID-19 testing locations and reserve a spot at de.gov/gettested.
âWe were proud to put the âVax Machineâ out on the road this week to reach communities across the state. And we are working hard to distribute the vaccine in a way thatâs fast and fair.â said Carney. âIn the meantime, we need to keep following the basic health precautions. Get tested, wear a mask, wash your hands and practice social distancing, even if you have been vaccinated.â