It's time to be cautious again, state warns, as Delaware sees increase in COVID-19 cases
Meredith NewmanDelaware has seen an uptick in the rate of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as health officials brace themselves for even more increases as part of a post-Thanksgiving bump.
“This is a really, really important time for people to be cautious again, which we know people are tired of hearing,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Division of Public Health.
“There is more infection out there.”
With the discovery of the omicron variant in South Africa, Rattay said it is only a matter of time until it is confirmed in the United States – and Delaware. There has yet to be a confirmed case in the United States.
The variant was confirmed in Canada on Sunday, which was the first identification in North America. Little is known about the variant, though the World Health Organization said Monday it is likely to spread around the world and could lead to "severe consequences.”
U.S. health officials said it will take weeks to learn more about the variant's transmissibility and severity. Experts say the vaccines – and the additional boosters – are the best way to fend of the virus and its variants.
"This variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic," President Joe Biden said Monday. "We have more tools to fight the variant than we have ever had before."
It will likely be one to three weeks until Delaware sees any spike in cases as a result of Thanksgiving gatherings, Rattay said. The increase of infections in recent weeks is likely from people spending more time indoors, she said.
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There hasn’t been any discussion among state officials about another indoor mask mandate.
“Quite frankly, I don't think that the public is going to be accepting of indoor mask mandates at this point in time,” Rattay said, “unless we see a significant increase in more severe consequences like hospitalizations and deaths.”
The seven-day average of new positive cases increased, going from 329.6 to 380.6, according to state data. Hospitalizations also jumped by more than 25% since the beginning of November, hovering at 213 as of Nov. 28.
Rattay also said that testing numbers have been “really low,” which means there is likely a significant number of undetected cases in Delaware.
Rattay recommended unvaccinated residents get tested weekly and those who are vaccinated get tested if they have been exposed to the virus or are experiencing symptoms.
For those attending holiday events in the coming weeks, she recommends getting tested one to two days before.
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Though not much is known about the omicron variant, Rattay said the state “has the tools in the toolbox,” primarily the vaccine. The cases in South Africa, she said, show that the new variant is likely even more transmissible than delta.
As of late last week, 76.4% of Delaware adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to state data.
“We can really do a lot to prevent transmission through vaccination,” she said. “We don't have all the answers yet about omicron. In fact, we don't have many at all.”
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 256-2466 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.