Del. Senate GOP Responds To New COVID-19 State of Emergency
Members of the Delaware State Senate Republican Caucus said Thursday that they recognized the challenges now facing the state’s hospitals, staff and first responders as COVID-19 cases continue to mount. The Caucus responded to Governor John Carney’s announcement of a State of Emergency that will take effect Monday.
Senate GOP members urged Carney to rescind the emergency order once the situation in hospitals improves. They also said they oppose any possible implementation of mandates like what were seen nearly two years ago, such as the statewide face-covering order and capacity limits at businesses and restaurants.
A pending bill that would require the General Assembly to approve renewal of a state of emergency beyond the initial 30 days will also be of high priority for the GOP when lawmakers reconvene in January.
Senate Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn, R- Georgetown, shared this statement with constituents:
The Senate Republican Caucus recognizes the challenges facing our hospitals’ staff and first responders throughout the state. To address these issues, Governor Carney today announced he will be issuing a state of emergency effective this coming Monday, January 3, 2022.
We have no doubt that the Delaware National Guard will provide much needed assistance to combat COVID-19 within our hospitals. We thank those in service for continuing to step up to the plate and providing aid where needed.
We do, however, urge Governor Carney to immediately rescind the order once the situation in our hospitals improve. We oppose any possible implementation of mandates like what we saw nearly two years ago, such as a statewide face-covering order and capacity limits in businesses and restaurants.
Today’s announcement reinforces the need for legislation to allow eligible National Guard members to quickly be credentialed as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and, thus, alleviating the need for a state of emergency like what will go in place on Monday. This and other measures such as House Bill 49, which would require the General Assembly to approve the renewal of a state of emergency beyond the initial 30 days (as currently written), will be of high priority when the Legislature reconvenes on January 11, 2022.
