Carney limits public gatherings to 10
Gov. John Carney signed his ninth order April 1 limiting public gatherings to 10 people.
“We will take action to enforce these restrictions if Delawareans, visitors, and businesses don’t comply voluntarily,” Carney said. “Our goal is to save lives. This is a serious situation, and we need everyone to cooperate. Don’t go out in public unnecessarily. If you need to go out, stay away from others. Wash your hands and follow basic hygiene guidance. We’ll get through this, but it’s going to take all of us.”
The emergency declaration has the force and effect of law. Any failure to comply with the provisions contained in a Declaration of a State of Emergency or any modification to a Declaration of the State of Emergency constitutes a criminal offense.
The order goes into effect 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2, and will run through May 15, or until the public health threat has been eliminated. Under the order, public gatherings include weddings, funerals and related activities.
Businesses that remain open must now follow stricter guidelines. These include:
- Allow no more than 20 percent of stated fire capacity in the store at any given time – and no more than 10 percent during exclusive hours for high-risk populations.
- Clearly mark six-foot spacing in check-out lines and other high-traffic areas, including outside.
- Discontinue any self-serve foods, or product sampling.
- Designate staff to enforce the number of people coming into the store and enforce limits.
