Delaware Officials Hold Press Briefing On COVID-19 Response Efforts

Governor John Carney gave an update on the state's response to the coronavirus.

BREAKING NEWS FROM CBS-3 "EYEWITNESS NEWS."GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, I'MJIM DONOVAN, DELAWARE GOVERNORJOHN CARNEY GIVING US UP ADAYTON TO SLOW THE SPREAD OFTHE CORONAVIRUS.HE'S HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCERIGHT NOW IN DELAWARE, LET'SLIST NEVER AT THIS POINT.I GUESS WE'RE WAITING FORTHE PRESS CONFERENCE TO BEGINSHORTLY AT THIS POINT AS YOUCAN SEE ON YOUR SCREEN, THENUMBER OF CASES IN DELAWARECURRENTLY KENT COUNTY 86 CASES, NEW CASTLE COUNTY, 436,AND SUSSEX, 151.LET'S LISTEN TO THE GOVERNOR.(NO AWED YES, SIR YET).GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, ITIS GOOD TO BE HERE, AIMGOVERNOR JOHN CARNEY NEAR NEWCASTLE DELAWARE.JUST TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ONTHE COVID-19 PANDEMICSITUATION, HERE IN OUR STAYED.AND TO BE HERE, THAT NEWCASTLE COUNTY HEADQUARTERS FORPUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS TORECOGNIZE A DROP OF PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THAT ISSO NECESSARY TO OUR FIRSTRESPONDERS, OUR HEALTHCAREWORKERS ACROSS OUR STATE, ANDREALLY, IS IMPORTANT TO UNABLEALL OF THE WORKERS TO DELIVERTHE LIFE SAVING CIRCUMSTANCESOR LIFE SAVING SERVICES THATTHEY'VE PROVIDE.I'M HERE WITH COUNTY EXECUTIVEMATT MEYER, JOINING US, THANKYOU, MATT, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIPAND FOR THE LEADERSHIP ANDSERVICE OF THE PEOPLE, PUBLICSAFETY FOLKS THAT ARE UN YOURCOMMAND.WE ALSO HAVE MARK WILLINGMAN,THE CHIEF OF EMS.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ANDTHE SERVICE OF YOUR MEN ANDWOMEN, AND DOCTOR RICK HAND,MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF DPH, WHOYOU'LL HEAR FROM IN A MINUTE.WE'RE HERE THIS MONDAY MORNING, EXPECTING THAT THENEXT TWO WEEKS ARE GOING TO BEVERY CHALLENGING HERE IN THESTATE OF DELAWARE AS THENUMBER OF POSITIVE COVID-19CASES INCREASES, AND CERTAINLYTHE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONSINCREASE.AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 673INDIVIDUALS WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19, WE HAD101 DELAWARIANS WHO WEREHOSPITALIZED AND 125 PEOPLEWITH POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTSWHO WERE IN OUR HOSPITALSACROSS THE STATE HERE IN NEWCASTLE COUNTY, KENT COUNTY,SUSSEX COUNTY.TWENTY-FIVE OF THOSE PATIENTSARE CRITICALLY ILL.AND 14 PASSED AWAY.WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING A SURGEIN THE NUMBER OF POSITIVECASES OF COVID-19 HERE INDELAWARE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOWWE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR ASURGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THATALL OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONHAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEYNEED TO THAT SURGE, AND WHENYOU THAT I THAT MEANS, IT ISESSENTIALLY MAKING SURE THATYOU'RE FOCUSING ON THOSELIMITING FACTORS IN THATEQUATION.SO, IT IS A CALCULATION OF THENUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS THATYOU HAVE, THE NUMBER OF ICUUNITS, INTENSIVE CARE UNITSTHAT YOU HAVE, THE NUMBER OFVENTILATORS THAT YOU HAVE TOSERVICE THE MOST CRITICALLYILL OF THOSE PATIENTS, ANDMOST IMPORTANTLY, PROBABLY ASWE'VE CALCULATED, THOSELIMITING FACTORS, THEPERSONNEL WHO WERE AVAILABLETO DELIVER THOSE LIFE SAVINGSERVICES, AND SO YOU CAN HAVEALL OF THE VENTILATORS THATYOU NEED, BUT IF YOU DON'THAVE THE REST TORI THERAPISTS,IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE NURSES,IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEPHYSICIANS, TO OPERATE ANDOPERATE THOSE EQUIPMENT INTENTTO THOSE PATIENTS, THEN YOU'RENOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAVETHOSE LIVES.WHICH THOSE SENIOR CITIZENSRESIDE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEYHAVE PRACTICES IN PLACE, TOPREVENT THE VIRUS FROM GETTINGINTO THE FACILITIES, CUT DOWNALL VISITATIONS, TO THOSEFACILITIES, AND MAKING SURETHAT THE WORKERS THERE ANDEMPLOYEES FOLLOW APPROPRIATE,PERSONAL HYGIENE, AND SOCIALDISTANCING.ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGINGTHINGS THAT WE'VE DONE HAD TODO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKSIS TO REDUCE THE SOCIALACTIVITY THE NUMBER OF GROUPS,ZERO LARGE GROUPS, IN THEPUBLIC CLOSING DOWN BEACHES,PARKS, AND RESTAURANTS ANDBARS LIMITING GATHERINGS MOSTRECENTLY, TO TEN OR FEWER ANDREALLY TRYING GET THE MESSAGEOUT THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TOEXHIBIT THE PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING, 6 FEET APART FROMONE ANOTHER, TO PROTECT EACHOF US FROM THE VIRUS, IT ISCLEAR THAT YOUR ACTIVITIESAFFECT YOUR NEIGHBORS.AND YOUR NEIGHBORS ACTIVITIESAFFECT YOU.WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITHOUR NEIGHBORS FROM OTHERSTATES, FROM NEW JERSEY,PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND COMINGTO DELAWARE, MOSTLY TO DOACTIVITIES THAT WE'REDISCOURAGING HERE IN OUR STATEAND REQUIRING OUR OWN CITIZENSTO STAY AT HOME, TO SHELTER INPLACE, AND ONLY TO LEAVE THEIRHOMES FOR ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIESAND SO WE'VE HAD TO SET UPROADBLOCKS ON OUR BOARDERS TOQUESTION THOSE FOLKS COMINGFROM OTHER STATES AS TO THEBUSINESS THEY'RE ABOUT HERE INOUR STATE.OUR ABILITY TO ENFORCE SOCIALDISTANCING AND OUR TONIGHT GETTHE MESSAGE OUT THAT THIS ISSO CRIT WILLINGLY IMPORTANT,FOR EVERY DELAWARIAN, TOEXERCISE CAUTION, TO KEEPTHEMSELVES SAFE, AND THEIRNEIGHBORS SAFE, WILL DEPEND,WILL DETERMINE, OUR ABILITY TOMEET THE SURGE THAT WE AREEXPECTING OVER THE NEXTSEVERAL WEEKS.WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING INTHE STATE OF NEW YORK AND NEWYORK CITY.WE'RE SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENINGIN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY, WITH RESPECT TO THATSURGE, AND WE EXPECT A SIMILARTYPE SURGE RELATIVE TO THEPOPULATION OF OUR STATE OVERTHE NEXT TWO WEEKS.AND SO THIS EQUIPMENT DROPTODAY THAT WE'RE HERE TORECOGNIZE IS REALLY IMPORTANTFOR THE EMS WORKERS ANDEMPLOYEES WHO ARE GOING TOWEAR THESE GOWNS, THE MASKS,THE N95 RESPIRATORS, AND HOODS, THAT ARE BEINGDELIVERED TODAY FROM THEDIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH,THAT RECEIVE THIS EQUIPMENTFROM THE NATIONAL STOCKPILE,YOU HAVE SEEN AND I'M SUREHEARD ON TV THE DIFFICULTYTHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTHAS HAD IN MEETING THE NEEDSOF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND WHENYOU THINK ABOUT RESPONSE TO ANEMERGENCY SITUATION,EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING ISEXECUTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,AND SO OUR THANKS GO OUT TOOUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR EMS,AND AMBULANCE PERSONNEL, OURLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, WHOARE ON THE STREETS OF DAY,TUNE OUR HOSPITAL ANDHEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO ARE OUTTHERE TREATING PATIENTS ANDDOING SO IN SUCH A WAY THATWILL SAVE LIVES AND DOING ITIN A SAFE AND SOUND WAY.OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT THEMDEPEND ON OUR ABILITY TOFLATTEN THE CURVE THAT IS TOREDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19TO VIRUS BY PROTECTINGAPPROPRIATE SAFETY MEASURESTHAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BYTHE CDC.AND OUR DECISION-MAKING LEVELAT HA SHAW, DIRECTOR HAS BEENDOING TREMENDOUS JOB WORKINGWITH OUR HOSPITALS, WITH OURLOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND WITHTHE LOCAL RESPONDERS, HE'SBEEN MANAGING THE SITUATION ATTHE STATE LEVEL.AND AGAIN, YOU TALK ABOUTEXECUTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,MANAGEMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL,AND SUPPORT AT THE FEDERALLEVEL.WE HAVE, IN FACT, I HAVE ACONFERENCES CALL LATER THISMORNING, WITH THE WHITE HOUSE,VICE PRESIDENT PENCE, AS WETALK ABOUT THE NEEDS OF STATESACROSS OUR COUNTRY AND EVERYSTATE IS A LITTLE BITDIFFERENT.OUR NEEDS HERE IN DELAWARE ARETHE SAME AS OTHER STATES, BUTALSO THE SITUATION HERE ISDIFFERENT, AS WELL, ONE OF THEMOST IMPORTANT LIMITINGFACTORS THIS PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THATWE'RE RECOGNIZING IN THIS DROPTODAY.SO, WITH THOSE, OPENINGREMARKS, I WOULD LIKE TO TURNTHE PODIUM OVER TO OUR COUNTYEXECUTIVE, MATT MEYER, ANDTHANK HIM AND HIS TEAM AND ALLOF THE FIRST RESPONDERS EMSAND THE NEW CASTLE COUNTYPOLICE FOR THEIR SERVICE ANDIMPORTANT SERVICE PROVIDING ONA DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMINGIN TODAY.AND THANK YOU, GOVERNOR CARNEYAS WE SAY BURNING THE CANDLEON BOTH SIDES OF THE STICK.I KNOW IT IS VERY EARLYMORNINGS, VERY LATE NIGHTS, INTHE INTEREST OF KEEPING ALL OFUS IN THIS STATE SAFE.SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.I KNOW THERE ARE SO MANYCONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE TALK TOME ABOUT IT WHO DON'T HAVE THEOPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU HOWGRATEFUL THEY ARE FOR THETREMENDOUS WORK YOU'RE DOINGTRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.EVERY SINGLE DELAWARIAN, ANDTHAT'S APPRECIATED.WE HAVE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ITIN ALL OF THESE BOXES RIGHTBEHIND ME, AS GOVERNOR CARNEYSAID, THIS IS AN EFFORT THATSTATE MANAGED LOCALLY EXECUTEDAND FEDERALLY SUPPORTED ANDTHESE BOXES BEHIND ME AREFANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF THAT.IT IS STATISTICS COMING OUT OFITALY SHOW AS MANY AS 12% OFHEALTHCARE WORKERS, THAT'S ONEIN EIGHT, OF THE INDIVIDUALSWHO TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.WE'RE HEALTHCARE WORKERS.FIRST RESPONDERS, DOCTORS,NURSES, PARAMEDICS, POLICEOFFICERS, ON THE FRONT LINE.AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW OURACTING PAR MET I CAN CHIEF LOGMAN IS HERE, POLICE CHIEFCOLONEL BOND IS HERE.WE KNOW IF WE WERE TO REMOVEONE OF EVERY EIGHT OF OURUNIFORMED SERVICE MEMBERS FROMJUDY AND EVERYONE WHO HAS BEENEXPOSE TODAY THOSE INDIVIDUALS, IT WOULD HAVEDRAMATICALLY NEGATIVE IMPACTON OUR SERVICE TO THE PUBLICON THAT LOCAL EXECUTION.SO WE CANNOT THANK GOVERNORCARNEY, THE STATE AND THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT ENOUGH FORMAKING SURE THAT OUR FIRSTRESPONDERS HAVE THE PERSONALPROTECTION EQUIPMENT THAT ISNEEDED WHEN THEY GO OUT THEREON THOSE CALLS.I WANT TO MENTION COUPLE OFOTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DOTO KEEP OUR FIRST RESPONDERSAND EVERYONE SAFE, AS GOVERNORCARNEY HAS REITERATED.YOU'RE LISTENING RIGHT NOWTO THE FOLKS DOWN IN DELAWARE,AND DELAWARE GOVERNOR JIMCARNEY UPDATING US ON THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, JOHNCARNEY, EXCUSE ME, IN THEFIRST STATE, 673 PEOPLE TESTEDPOSITIVE SO FAR IN DELAWARE,25 OF THEM ARE IN CRITICALCONDITION.W 14 DEATHS AT THIS POINT.I'M JIM DONOVAN, WE NOW RETURNTO YOU YOUR REGULARLYSCHEDULED PROGRAM.THIS HAS BEEN BREAKING NEWSCOVERAGE FROM CBS-3 "