Omicron cases in Delaware showing slight drop

Gov. John Carney had some guarded optimism Jan. 18 that the latest COVID surge is showing signs of subsiding.

“Seems like we’ve seen a leveling off at least for a couple of days of the new positive cases, of the percentage of the tests that are done that are positive, and most importantly, with the number of people who are hospitalized with COVID in hospitals across our state,” he said.

The latest statistics show 683 people hospitalized, with 71 in critical condition. The positivity rate is about 28 percent. Hospitalizations peaked at 759 Jan. 12, and the positivity rate was just under 35 percent on Jan. 9.

Last year’s peak was also posted on Jan. 12, but it was much lower at 474. 

“A significant percentage of patients have tested positive with COVID, or maybe they are there for the severity of their COVID illness,” Carney said.

“Two or three days in a row where we’re down from 759, so the situation over the past several days is not getting worse, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s getting a little bit better.”

Overall, 65 percent of the population has been vaccinated, including 75 percent of residents over 18, according to state statistics.

Carney said the state is continuing to test residents, referring to it as a “full-out” rate with almost 9,000 tests done per day, 60,000 a week.

Omicron is by far the largest variant at 93 percent. “We need to double down on increasing the number of Delawareans who have received their primary series and their booster,” said Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.