No state of emergency for now, governor says

Joined by the heads of Beebe Healthcare and Christiana Care, Gov. John Carney said he still could enact a state of emergency as COVID cases rise in Delaware, but he wants to keep businesses and the economy open.

“There are obviously mixed feelings about that,” he said during a Dec. 21 virtual press conference. “Closing them down could be devastating to them, so working on protected measures short of closing like that is something we’ll look at first for sure.”

Carney said there is no more federal stimulus money for businesses to tap into, referring to the hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Delaware businesses afloat during the 2020 shutdown and state of emergency.

While no decision was made on closing businesses as the number of Delaware’s hospitalizations pushed 400 and the positive COVID rate is now in double digits, Carney did ask residents who circulate in the community to mask up.

Dr. David Tam, president and chief executive officer of Beebe Healthcare, said COVID-19 cases at the Lewes hospital have doubled since Thanksgiving. The increase of patients has forced the hospital to postpone nonemergency surgeries and procedures. But he assured the public that Beebe remains open for anyone experiencing an emergency.

“If you need emergency care, we are there for you,” he said. 

For people in at-risk groups who contract the virus, Tam said, a monoclonal antibody infusion center is available.

As Beebe’s emergency rooms and waiting rooms fill up with patients, Tam asked people who have minor symptoms to seek care with their private physician, to ease congestion at the hospital.

Sharon Kurfuerst, president and system chief operating officer at Christiana Care, said their hospital beds are full. “Patients are receiving care in the hallways,” she said.

Kurfuerst said shortages of healthcare workers are another issue, although she did not address the layoffs of about 150 employees last fall who reportedly refused to get vaccinated.

A slide shared during the presentation showed hospitals provided a total of 1,200 to 1,800 procedures from April 2020 to present. Throughout the same time frame, the number of COVID patients has fluctuated from nearly zero to more than 500, with the current case count at nearly 400.

All three continued to stress that vaccinations and booster shots are the key to bringing down COVID-19 cases.

DPH launches tool for COVID-19 vaccine record access

Delaware Division of Public Health announced Dec. 21 that people vaccinated in Delaware will now have access to a QR code when downloading their COVID-19 vaccination record.

Officials said the digital COVID-19 vaccination card now includes the QR code and is available through the DelVAX Public Portal, a site where those who were vaccinated in Delaware can access their immunization records. 

“This new feature provides individuals convenient access to their COVID-19 vaccination record in a way that keeps their personal health information secure,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “This offers a protected link to your COVID-19 vaccination record on the go.”

When the person accesses their COVID-19 record they will be able to download a PDF version of it, which resembles a vaccine card and includes the QR code. The image can be saved to a photo gallery or printed on paper.

The technology allows anyone to show proof of vaccination with a digital or printed QR code instead of a paper card. QR codes contain the same information as paper records, officials said, but in a format that offers greater security and efficiency. The QR code is digitally verified by the Delaware Division of Public Health.

QR codes are available to anyone whose vaccination record includes a working phone number and is in Delaware’s immunization database, DelVAX. Nearly all doses administered in Delaware are reported to DelVAX, including pharmacies, physician offices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, public health clinics and state-run community vaccination events. Some doses administered outside Delaware to Delaware residents may be in DelVAX. Doses administered directly by federal agencies such as the Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs are not reported to DelVAX. 

Businesses that choose to verify an individual’s vaccination status can scan QR codes using a SMART Health Card verifier app. Individuals do not need to download an app to obtain their QR code. When a business or entity scans the QR code, the vaccination information will only appear for a short period of time for verification purposes and will not be saved on the device, keeping the individual’s personal information secure.  

Delaware is among several states to recently adopt the SMART Health Card Framework for QR codes, providing individuals with trustworthy, verifiable copies of their vaccination records in digital or paper form. The framework and standards for the technology were developed by VCI, a coalition of more than 800 public and private organizations including The Mayo Clinic, Boston Children’s Hospital, Microsoft, MITRE, and The Commons Project Foundation. 

Parents and legal guardians can access official immunization records for their child/children age 0-17, and adults (18 years and older) can access official immunization records for themselves. DelVAX uses two-factor authentication via text messaging or email to validate patient, parent or guardian access. 

The DelVAX Public Portal is available at delvax.dhss.delaware.gov/delvax_public/Application/PublicPortal. To watch step-by-step instructions on how to access the public portal and download a secure QR code, go to youtube.com/watch?v=_DLc9vAVO7s. Individuals who need assistance can call 1-800-282-8672 or email DelVAX@delaware.gov.