Carney Updates Omnibus COVID-19 State Of Emergency

Governor John Carney has issued his 6th modification of his COVID-19 Omnibus State of Emergency Declaration which expands permitted crowd sizes late next week and allows youth and amateur sports tournaments to proceed with a plan approved by the Division of Public Health.

Effective Friday February 12th at 8:00 a.m., restaurants, retail locations, gyms, houses of worship, arts venues and other business locations may accommodate crowds at up to 50-percent of stated fire capacity. Businesses “must continue to follow social distancing and other COVID-19 restrictions issued by state and local governments.”

Delawareans who travel out of state for sports tournaments and competitions are strongly encouraged to self-quarantine in accordance with DPH guidance, but will no longer required to do so.

“We are administering more vaccines each day, and we continue to see improvement in our COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations statewide. That’s good news, but it’s no reason to let our guard down,” Carney said. “We need to make sure we’re distributing the vaccine equitably across our state. That is a priority. And we need to limit community spread of this virus. We know what works. Until we can vaccinate enough Delawareans, continue to wear a mask. Avoid gatherings. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s stay vigilant.”

Other highlights:

Delaware vaccination providers are required to report complete demographic information to the Delaware Immunization Information System within 24 hours of administering a vaccine.

Health care providers, pharmacies and other entities that offer vaccinations are required to offer the shots free of charge, although insurance information may be collected. Failure to comply could result in fines for providers and reductions in vaccine allocation.

Prohibitions on price gouging are also strengthened.

Also, Delawareans will be permitted to cast absentee ballots in 2021 municipal elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.