Coronavirus in Delaware: a place to share news, tips, information (co-op, buying)

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by lyndyb

Depending on when in May you have a reservation, you may want to contact the hotel where you've got a reservation, as they may not be open during the time you're planning to visit. I don't think any of us can really contemplate if they will lift some of the restrictions on 5/15 or if they'll keep them in place. I've attached a link that will take you to a site where you can potentially watch for any updates.

https://news.delaware.gov/2020/04/06...-term-rentals/

"Commercial lodging in Delaware will remain closed through May 15, or until the public health threat is eliminated. The order exempts certain Delawareans and essential workers who may need access to short-term rental units. That list of exemptions includes caretakers with family members nearby, health care providers, journalists, and Delawareans with public housing vouchers."

Please don't take these measures personally. They were no doubt mandated to ensure the population doesn't expand beyond the ability the small medical resources are equipped to handle, particularly in Sussex County. I don't think this is specific to Delaware, but to other beach areas up and down the east coast.

Sorry this is potentially spoiling your plans. I totally get it, as it's spoiled vacation plans of just about everyone I know who was planning a vacation somewhere that was cancelled or shut down to visitors, including me. We locals were also really looking forward to the "shoulder season" before our towns got more crowded and we're losing quite a bit of that (as the beaches are closed to residents too) - but all to try to stay safe and healthy. If May doesn't work out for you, I'd highly recommend September or October, which are beautiful here.

Thanks for the info. I have spoken to the hotel in Kent County (lowest number of cases in the State). They called me. The information about the police and how they will deal with out of state license plates, I found myself on the Delaware police website.

The mosquitoes are horrendous in the refuge in the summer and the birds I photograph aren't there then. September and October mean a lot of ducks and I'm not interested in them. But, that's not the issue. The issue is I don't think the governor has given much thought to tourists overall and if you only have 2 weeks for your vacation, you aren't going to spend 14 days quarantined in your Delaware hotel room. I think it might make sense if you are only considering tourists who rent for the whole summer or have a Delaware summer home, but I can't speak for them.

The federal guidelines say non-essential travel comes in Phase 2. That would be for every state, not just Delaware. But, I think the quarantine after you get there, is all up to the governors. And, of course, when the state in question starts Phase 2. My state is starting Phase 1 next week so I suspect we will start Phase 2 earlier than Delaware.

Then again, I think they all want us geezers to stay in our homes until we die of old age.

I watch and listen to Delaware's governor's briefings on the Delaware.gov site.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

It's not just Delaware that is facing the loss of tourist dollars. In 2018, the Philadelphia region where I live drew 45 million visitors who spent $7.6 billion (yes, billion with a "B"), creating over 100,000 jobs. So, yes, there is a lot of hurt going around - here, in Delaware and everywhere else. Ask anyone in the hospitality industry.

But please remember, you are not the only person who has had to cancel travel plans. We have cancelled two trips already this spring, and a broker who was handling a vacation rental for us later this year has gone bankrupt. But I take it in stride, as there are people who are facing more important problems than mine (and yours). Let's start with the 82 Delawareans and 342 of your fellow Tennesseans (and counting) who have lost their lives to date.

Then there are millions of people whose livelihood is at stake - people with mortgages, car payments, children to raise and parents to support. There are business owners who will never see their businesses reopen. There are doctors and nurses who are risking their lives to help people with the virus. There is a lady I spoke with recently who works at a nursing home. She can't hug her children at night because she has to quarantine once she gets home - no doubt exhausted.

Really, doesn't canceling a trip seem a minor inconvenience in the big picture?

Yes, canceling the trip is the least of it. Possibly getting hunted down by the police for out of state plates is draconian.

[nuts2uiam]

The governor spoke yesterday and said he is concerned about the increase in cases in Sussex County. All 3 counties have increased overnight, but Sussex was over 100 additional cases and 10 people died overnight from all counties. Just looking at this from sheerly a "numbers" perspective. In order to go into the 3 phase gating you need to have 14 days of downward trajectory. We are still increasing so it is moot, but, say on 4/22 we begin day 1 of the downward trajectory, that would bring us to May 6th, before we could enter phase 1, May 20 before phase 2 and June 3 before phase 3. If there is an uptick the process starts all over again.

Now the "rules" are not rules but rather guidelines for each governor to determine how they wish to proceed. As I previously stated, the alliance of the 6 governors means they will consider where each of the states are and determine from those discussions how they want to proceed. Gov. Carney has already stated that if neighboring states are still on the upswing, it makes no sense to open us up. We need to be patient. Believe me, it is killing me that I can't get down to the beach now, let alone during the rest of the month.

Just read this apparently from a few hours ago..

https://www.wrde.com/story/42032775/...eopen-delaware

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Yes, canceling the trip is the least of it. Possibly getting hunted down by the police for out of state plates is draconian.

If your state lifts stay in place, I hope they turn you back at the border. You might agree, as your chances of catching COVID-19 in Delaware and taking it back is much higher than the rates appear to be back where you live.

[nuts2uiam]

Sussex County numbers are now with 35 of New Castle County. Sussex is the concern now.

[culater88]

IMHO, I know it's tough when you're looking forward to your annual vacation time but it's better to cancel one trip (there's always next year) rather than being your final trip!

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by nuts2uiam

Sussex County numbers are now with 35 of New Castle County. Sussex is the concern now.

What’s going on in Sussex County? It has pretty much the same number of cases as NCCo with only about 40% of the population. It’s very concerning.

[nuts2uiam]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

What’s going on in Sussex County? It has pretty much the same number of cases as NCCo with only about 40% of the population. It’s very concerning.

As of today’s numbers we are behind NC county by 12 cases. They have fallen off and we have picked up. The areas of Georgetown and Millsboro are increasing at alarming rates. Georgetown has over 300 cases, Milford, Millsboro and Seaford all between 175 and 200 cases. They are looking at chicken plants, and nursing homes.

I will bet I am looking at numbers tomorrow that will surpass NC county. Hope I am wrong.

[Mimidae]

Originally Posted by beachliz

The park traffic in my area has dwindled down some, but I (and other locals who visit the parks often) have noticed more off leash dogs which is illegal and problematic.

Yes, what is with this behavior? I've noticed more dogs off leash, and I've noticed younger people driving very recklessly; more than usual. I live in a neighborhood where people walk up the "main avenue" of the neighborhood frequently, though there are no official sidewalks. I was having a little after-dinner passagiato with my husband yesterday, and I saw a car drive into our neighborhood, pretend to side-swipe an older couple who were walking about 50 yards in front of us, and then get too close to us while driving fast. We both stared him down as he drove past, and he grinned at us. It just kind of made my heart sink. This country has gone through hard times in the past. The Depression, the world wars. People pitched in. People helped their neighbors. They didn't taunt them with violence. But maybe I'm romanticizing it. Maybe there were always young men in fast cars who deliberately pretended to be about to run into middle-aged and older couples walking in their neighborhoods.

[nuts2uiam]

Below is a letter that if you signed up on the coronavirus update for De. that you received yesterday;


Office of the Governor
Letter on Economic Recovery
Dear Delawareans,

I’m writing to give you an update on where we are, and where we’re going.
The road to economic recovery will be a long one. And we can’t start our economic recovery until our path toward controlling this virus is clear.

That said, what we can do right now is plan. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be soliciting ideas from business owners, non-profits, the general public, teachers, community leaders, and legislators about ways to reopen our economy.

I thought it would also be helpful to explain how we’ll know when it’s time to safely reopen. Here are the basic elements of our decision-making process:
Whenever possible, we plan to use the CDC guidance from the White House Task Force as a roadmap.
That means we will open the economy in phases.
In order to move to Phase 1, we’ll need to see 14 days of our cases going down. You can track those trends here.
We also need to hire and then train several hundred contact tracers (we’re working on that right now) so that when someone gets sick, we can quickly notify everyone they came in contact with and make sure they self-isolate.
We also need a reliable source of tests. We have to be able to test anyone with symptoms, anyone who has been exposed, and anyone in vulnerable communities like Long-Term Care facilities and people with underlying health conditions. We’re working on this right now as well.
Even once we start easing some of the restrictions, things won’t be like they used to, at least not for a while. Every business that opens will have to follow strict social distancing guidelines. In some cases, that might mean that they can’t operate at full capacity, or that their staff will need to wear masks. These are the details we’re working out now, and that we want your input on.

I know the big question is: when does all this begin?

I wish I had a date certain to give you, but I don’t. It’s not clear yet whether our positive cases are on a consistent downward trend. Once they start going down consistently, and once we have our contact tracers and testing regimen in place, we can start moving toward Phase 1. We’ll keep watching numbers to know when to move to Phase 2 and so on.

This has been a trying time for everyone. My heart hurts for every family that has lost a loved one, every parent struggling to make ends meet, and every business owner whose business is on the brink. There are intangible costs to this crisis as well – in the canceled birthday party, the missed family dinners, postponed funerals, the high school sports career cut short, and the loss of human contact.

What I can tell you is that I know how hard this is, and we are working night and day to bring it to an end as quickly as possible. Thanks for your patience, and for doing your part.

Sincerely,

Governor John Carney