Governor Carney, DHSS Secretary to hold virtual town hall

NEWARK, Del. – Out of an abundance of caution, Governor John Carney’s State of the State Town Hall – scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Newark Senior Center – will be postponed. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) shared information on Monday that advises older Delawareans and people with severe chronic health conditions to follow guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encouraging them to “avoid crowds as much as possible” as a way to reduce their risk of contracting coronavirus disease.

Governor Carney instead will hold a virtual town hall with Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. The virtual town hall will take place on Wednesday, March 11, at 6:30 p.m. The event will be streamed on Facebook Live, Livestream, and the Governor’s website. Delawareans are encouraged to submit questions ahead of the event either on Facebook or Twitter, or by email to townhall@delaware.gov.

Delaware does not currently have a confirmed COVID-19 case. The decision to postpone the town hall is a preventative measure to avoid public gatherings at a senior center where Delawareans who may be in a higher-risk group for getting very sick from COVID-19 regularly gather.

As Delaware prepares and responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is important to note Delaware is experiencing a particularly serious flu season with 6,000 lab-confirmed cases and 11 deaths statewide. In addition to getting your flu shot, DPH recommends everyday measures that people can take to prevent the spread of all infections, which would also slow the spread of coronavirus disease:

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand. If you use a tissue, dispose of it right away.
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, including the backs of your hands and under your nails, for 20 seconds. Or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Do not touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean commonly used surfaces such as computers, desktops, countertops cabinets, handles and more with disinfectant.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• If you are healthy, the CDC does not recommend buying or using face masks. You should only wear a mask if a health care provider tells you to do so.
• Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

Delawareans who have questions can call the Division of Public Health’s information line at 1-866-408-1899, TTY at 1-800-232-5460, or send an email with their question to DPHcall@delaware.gov. For the latest Delaware updates, visit de.gov/coronavirus.

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