As COVID-19 cases surge, should Delaware expect more restrictions?

6 min readNov 18, 2020

The state announced new COVID-19 related restrictions for restaurants and gatherings on Tuesday afternoon. Read the full story with updates here. This story has also been updated to correct the number of students in the Colonial School District.

The surge in COVID-19 cases in Delaware has reached record heights, setting all-time highs for the average number of new cases in 11 of the past 12 days.

So far, Delaware has avoided implementing a shutdown order similar to that experienced this spring.

But that may not last much longer. Other northeast states such as Maryland and New Jersey have limited private gatherings and installed business curfews. Philadelphia has closed gyms again and banned indoor dining in restaurants through the end of the year.

All of which raises questions about what Gov. John Carney’s administration, which looks to its neighbours for precedent, will do next to slow the spread of the virus.

Carney’s administration has not specified what could lie ahead, but it will be the main topic of the governor’s weekly coronavirus press briefing on Tuesday, his spokesman Jonathan Starkey said Monday.

As the weather gets colder, state and local governments are trying to keep businesses alive while fighting against people’s temptations to gather indoors as the holidays draw friends and family closer.

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ALBANY — New York officials are urging residents to keep their Thanksgiving dinners small as a way to curb the spread of coronavirus, fearing large gatherings could become “superspreader” events.

Already New York is reporting daily COVID-19 cases totals that haven’t been found since May, and holiday gatherings could further heighten the surge, officials said.

“I believe this situation is going to continue to deteriorate over the coming weeks,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. “I think you’ll see an increasing rise in the number of cases.”

New York and New Jersey have both enacted orders that limit private, in-house gatherings to no more than 10 people in advance of the holiday season. New Jersey is breaking daily records of cases already.

“This will not be a normal a holiday season, and it’s incumbent on all of us to avoid the type of gatherings that have proven to be particularly dangerous places for COVID-19 to spread,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said residents should keep their Thanksgiving celebrations small and as safe as possible.

“This is the year to make your Thanksgiving gathering more intimate, and to cherish your immediate family members and traditions,” Latimer said.

Bring in fresh air
Open the windows — the wider the better and as many as possible — to promote cross-ventilation.

Run your kitchen exhaust fan.

Or even invite your guests to wear masks and meet you for a walk, a turkey trot or a hike in a park.

Leave it to the chef
Keep guests out of the kitchen.

Avoid passing platters from person to person.

Designate one person with gloved hands to serve buffet-style from a central location.

Consider making side dishes in single-serving bowls and using single service plates and utensils.

Mask up or stay home
Wash or sanitize hands frequently.

Have your guests wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking.

Ask your guests to reduce their contacts and potential exposures for the two weeks prior to their visit.

Remind your guests to stay home if they have any COVID symptoms or a fever, are awaiting COVID test results, or are under quarantine or isolation orders.

Have your returning college student limit his or her exposure to others and get tested this week, next week and a day or two before returning home.

College students should also wear a mask throughout their travel home when around others, whether by plane, train or car, with windows open.

“It is especially important to keep uninvited germs out of your holiday meal, so wash your hands thoroughly when you arrive and before you take that first bite,” Westchester Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said.

“Good hand hygiene can help reduce the risk of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”

More:New York, New Jersey limiting private gatherings to 10 people. How will it be enforced?

More:Pa. has no plans for new statewide restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases, health secretary says

As COVID-19 cases surge, should Delaware expect more restrictions?

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