COVID 19 closes schools until May 15
Gov. John Carney on March 23 ordered all Delaware schools to remain closed through at least Friday, May 15, to fight the spread of COVID-19.
“We have spent a significant portion of the last week discussing plans for remote instruction, the delivery of meals, and other social services. This is an unusual time – but children still deserve access to a quality education, and families rely on the social services we deliver in our schools every day. We’ll continue to work directly with school leaders on these important issues,” Carney said.
Carney offered no details on how or when students will resume their educations, but he has requested federal permission to exempt students from state testing. Delaware has submitted a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education requesting Delaware be exempt from state testing this year to focus its efforts on student instruction, he said.
Carney also said he recommends no school district or charter school extend its school calendar beyond the end of June. Dr. Susan Bunting, secretary of the Delaware Department of Education, will formally make that recommendation to the State Board of Education, upon submission by each district and charter.
Click here the Delaware Department of Education’s list of remote learning activities and other resources.
Call for healthcare providers
In other action, Carney declared a Public Health Emergency and released a more robust Emergency Order to assist with Delaware’s response to COVID-19 by strengthening Delaware’s healthcare workforce.
- Nurses, doctors, mental healthcare providers, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who have active licenses or certificates of good standing in any U.S. jurisdiction are authorized to provide in-person healthcare services in Delaware throughout the emergency, as well as telemedicine services.
- Delaware healthcare professionals whose licenses expired in the last five years are authorized to provide healthcare services in Delaware, assuming their licenses were in good standing for the five-year period.
DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.
Melissa Steele is a staff writer covering the state Legislature, government and police. Her newspaper career spans more than 30 years and includes working for the Delaware State News, Burlington County Times, The News Journal, Dover Post and Milford Beacon before coming to the Cape Gazette in 2012. Her work has received numerous awards, most notably a Pulitzer Prize-adjudicated investigative piece, and a runner-up for the MDDC James S. Keat Freedom of Information Award.
