The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is actively taking steps to prepare for community spread of the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19, as well as providing information to Delawareans about the actions they can take now to make preparations. To date, no one in Delaware has tested positive for COVID-19.

DOVER, Del.– DNREC’s Division of Air Quality and industry partners will host Air Permitting Basics training workshops at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, at DNREC’s Lukens Drive office, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle, DE 19720, and again at 8 a.m., Thursday, March 26, in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Topics to be covered include an overview of DNREC’s Division of Air Quality and air permitting basics – with examples presented at the workshops for generators and boilers. Certificates for professional development hours will be available for those attending. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, and for more information, please visit https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/air/permitting-basics/.

Actress Millicent Sparks to portray the noted Underground Railroad conductor.

W.B. Simpson Elementary School 4th grader Latrell McGinnis spent last spring tending to his cabbage in hopes of growing the best-looking cabbage in Delaware. After all the judging was completed, McGinnis’s hard work paid off when he was announced as the state winner during a presentation at his school this week.

A Smyrna man was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop and vehicle search in Dover conducted by the Delaware Natural Resources Police.

DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Yard Waste site in New Castle County will close for the season on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Normally, the site closes earlier – at the end of January – but due to mild weather, DNREC extended the site’s operation into 2020 to accommodate yard waste activities. Area residents who wish to recycle their yard waste while the Polly Drummond Hill Road site is closed have other options for yard waste disposal.

Applications for rising 11th or 12th grade student seat are due March 20, 2020  DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Thursday the application period for the student seat on the State Board of Education is open through March 20, 2020. The application can be found on the State Board of Education website. Governor […]

On view from March 6-27, 2020 Free opening reception on Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m. Wilmington, Del. (February 28, 2020) – Not Just a Pretty Face, an exhibition of pastel portraits by Paul Simon, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from March 6-27, 2020. The artist will host a free opening reception on […]

DOVER, Del. – Every day, Delaware consumers are protected by the work of the Weights and Measures inspectors at the Delaware Department of Agriculture. When consumers purchase products based on a weight or measurement – like a gallon of gas or a pound of lunch meat – the Department’s Weights and Measures section is responsible […]

To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Feb. 17-23 made 1,376 public contacts and responded to 53 complaints.

The dam and associated fishing access areas at Records Pond in Laurel will be closed to public use during reconstruction of the dam beginning March 2.

Organizations looking to reduce energy consumption and related costs through energy-efficient lighting now have expanded grant opportunities.

The Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights & Public Trust announced Monday that a grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania man on two counts of the crime of Abusing a Corpse. In two separate incidents, James T. Schaeffer-Patton, 39, of Pennsylvania is accused of having improperly moved decedents’ bodies during his employment as […]

STANTON (March 2, 2020) – Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay announced at a press conference today that DPH has two Patients Under Investigation (PUIs) for coronavirus disease in Kent County, who had traveled to a country under a travel alert. Three previous PUIs were tested and all came back negative. […]

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve will reopen for the 2020 season Wednesday, April 1.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is investigating an outbreak of mumps cases among school-age children in New Castle County. As of March 3, 2020, DPH had identified nine cases of mumps as part of this outbreak, including seven confirmed cases and two probable cases.

The Delaware Division of the Public Advocate and the Delaware Public Service Commission are urging medium and large businesses that get their electricity from Delmarva Power to contact the utility immediately and ask if they qualify for lower billing rates.

Joint Information Center Established for Media DOVER (March 5, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that the latest pending test result for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has come back negative. The individual is a Sussex County resident. DPH will not be providing any additional information about the individual. Nine Delawareans […]

The Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) has announced the relaunch of the DART Adopt-A-Shelter program. The primary focus of the program is to enlist schools, community organizations and business partners to assist in providing attractive and inviting bus shelters for our customers. John Sisson, DTC CEO stated, “We are excited to relaunch our Adopt-A-Shelter Program. While […]

To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Feb. 24 - March 1 made 1,812 public contacts and responded to 34 complaints.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday announced his intention to nominate New Castle County Superior Court Judge Charlie Butler as Superior Court Resident Judge, New Castle County. Judge Butler – who since 2012 has served as a judge on the Superior Court in New Castle County – would replace Resident Judge of Superior […]

Program tells the story of an African American girl from New Castle, Del. who was kidnapped and taken to Maryland to be sold into slavery.

Insurers required to cover testing and telemedicine services related to COVID-19 While no active cases of the virus have been confirmed in Delaware to date, Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro notified insurers today of their duties related to COVID-19. In a bulletin to insurance companies, the Commissioner reminded Delaware’s health insurers that testing for COVID-19 is […]

Watch live at 1:15pm on March 10, 2020 from Delaware Health and Social Services and the Division of Public Health.    

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 […]

elaware residents may pre-order environmentally beneficial compost bins and rain barrels at discount prices during an online sale in May. Made available by DNREC’s Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances, in conjunction with the Division of Watershed Stewardship, advance purchases must be made for both items at www.enviroworld.us/delaware

DOVER (March 12, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing three additional presumptive positive cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All three individuals are under the age of 30 and are associated with the University of Delaware community. The individuals are not severely ill and are currently self-isolated at home. The […]

Join Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Dr. Karyl Ratty, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health, and Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services  for a live coronavirus disease discussion on hygiene and at-risk populations at 11:45am from the State Health Operations Center You can also watch the live […]

  Future return to session will be re-evaluated weekly DOVER – In response to growing concerns about the Coronavirus pandemic, House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf and Senate President Pro Tempore David McBride announced Thursday that the Delaware General Assembly is postponing next week’s legislative session. The legislature was scheduled to return from its break for Joint […]

DOVER, Del. – The Mosquito Control Section within DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife this weekend will launch its annual campaign to protect Delawareans and First State visitors from biting mosquitoes. The Mosquito Control Section’s first “Fight the Bite” mission for 2020 is the spraying of spring woodland pools to control aquatic immature mosquitoes starting Saturday, March 14, weather permitting. Spring spraying will begin in southern Sussex County and expand into Kent and New Castle counties over the next several weeks.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is focused on taking a proactive and preventative approach to keep communities safe.

To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from March 2-8 made 1,351 public contacts and responded to 49 complaints.

A Wilmington man has been sentenced to life without parole for his central role in a June 2016 murder. Brian Wilson, also known as Fudayl Wakim, was convicted in January by a Superior Court jury for Murder First Degree, Conspiracy First Degree, and Criminal Solicitation First Degree after witness testimony, cell phone evidence, and collaboration […]

In support of the State of Emergency issued by Governor Carney advising the public against gathering in large crowds, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is strongly encouraging customers who are in need of Division of Motor Vehicle (DMV) services to utilize mydmv.delaware.gov which offers more than 20 services online, including renewal of Delaware Driver […]

Due to the presence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Delaware and the direction of medical professionals, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has implemented several additional measures to clean facilities and vehicles used by the public to help limit the spread of the illness. At Delaware’s four motor vehicle service centers, three toll plazas, and two […]

DOVER, Del. – A Dover man was arrested March 3 on multiple poaching and criminal charges following an investigation by DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. On Feb. 15, a Fish & Wildlife officer responded to a complaint near Smyrna regarding a shot fired from a pickup truck toward hunters who were in a field amidst snow goose decoys. The vehicle from which the shot was fired was seen later driving through and making ruts in the field occupied by the goose hunters. Ryan Permelia, 28, was charged with one count each of hunting from a motor vehicle, hunting snow goose without required conservation order season permit, possession of prohibited lead shot while hunting migratory waterfowl, carrying an unlawfully loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, reckless endangering first degree, criminal mischief under $1,000, and criminal trespass third degree. Permelia was arraigned through Justice of the Peace Court 2 and released on his own recognizance, pending a future court appearance in the Kent County Court of Common Pleas.

SMYRNA (March 14, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing two more presumptive positive cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases to six. The two individuals are associated with the University of Delaware community, and are linked to the initial presumptive positive cases. The individuals are […]

WILMINGTON, Del. –  Governor John Carney on Friday authorized all meetings of public bodies to be conducted electronically until further notice. Governor Carney on Thursday issued a State of Emergency declaration to prepare for the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The emergency declaration allows the State of Delaware executive branch agencies to conduct public meetings electronically to […]

SMYRNA (March 14, 2020) – The State of Delaware issued guidance today to assist non-public school child care facilities with their response to the global outbreak of respiratory coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Based on advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delaware Division of Public Health does not recommend closing non-public school […]

DOVER (March 15, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing one additional positive case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The case involves a New Castle County woman under the age of 30. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer requiring presumptive positive results to go through CDC […]

Email from Governor John Carney:   This is an uncertain time, and Delawareans have understandable questions about the potential impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on their families and communities.   We’ve repeatedly heard versions of this question:  Why would the state close schools, but recommend that childcare centers remain open?   The current guidance from the Delaware Division of […]

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney announced on Monday that the State of Delaware Government Efficiency & Accountability Review (GEAR) public meetings planned in each county over the coming weeks will be postponed until further notice. The town halls were originally scheduled for March 19, 24, and 30.   Delawareans with questions about COVID-19 or their […]

The Delaware Department of Education has received a waiver from the federal government to allow school nutrition programs to provide meals to students during the closure.

Updated emergency declaration also bans gatherings of 50+ people statewide, and closes gaming in Delaware casinos WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Monday modified his March 12 emergency declaration to limit Delaware restaurants, taverns and bars to take-out and delivery service only to help prevent spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Governor Carney’s updated emergency […]

To limit the potential spread of the Coronavirus, the Delaware Forest Service is announcing the following actions, effective immediately: The Lodge at Redden State Forest will be closed to the public until further notice. All campsites at Redden and Blackbird State Forests will be closed to the public until further notice. All large gatherings (>25 people) scheduled for any of the State Forests will be cancelled. State Forests will remain open to the general public for the time being for outdoor activities such as hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, etc.

DOVER (March 15, 2020) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the eighth positive case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The case involves a New Castle County woman over the age of 50. The individual is not severely ill and is currently self-isolated at home. She was exposed to a positive case […]

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) continues to review operational needs while keeping the health and safety of our employees and customers in mind. To that end, all public facing buildings that deliver various services will be going cashless across the State, including toll plazas and all Division of Motor Vehicle locations, effective Tuesday, March […]

Governor Carney will host a virtual Q&A session with Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), on Facebook and Livestream to answer questions about the coronavirus. For the latest Delaware updates, visit de.gov/coronavirus Submit questions ahead of this Facebook event by email: townhall@delaware.gov. 

As of Monday, March 16, all DART public transit services are operating as regularly scheduled. Due to the presence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Delaware and the direction of medical professionals, Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) has implemented several additional measures to clean facilities and vehicles used by the public to help limit the spread of the […]

Governor to U.S. Small Business Administration: Make low-interest loans available to DE small businesses, nonprofits affected by COVID-19 WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Monday submitted an application formally requesting the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide Delaware an Economy Injury Declaration, which makes loans available to small businesses and nonprofit organizations in […]