Coronavirus Latest: Delaware 'Nowhere Ready To Get On The Starting Line' To Reopening, Gov. Carney Says
DOVER, Del. (CBS) -- President Donald Trump is giving governors a roadmap for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic. The president and doctors on the COVID-19 task force laid out a phased approach to restoring normal activity and reopening the country on Thursday.
The plan calls for three phases to reopening with restrictions being eased as long as certain requirements are met.
President Trump is also leaving much up to governors about reopening. CBS3's Ukee Washington spoke with Delaware Gov. John Carney Thursday night about his reaction to the announcement.
"The immediate thought was a positive one in that the president had kind of backed off the fact that he had total control and deciding when states should come back online, bring their economies back online," Carney said. "Every state is a little bit different and I think each governor knows their state better than the task force in Washington, D.C. So that was a good start."
But before any of this can begin, states must reach certain benchmarks, including a decrease in cases for 14 consecutive days and a decrease in hospitalizations.
"Those are conditions that we can't meet in Delaware today," Carney said.
Health experts say there also needs to be an increase in testing before the country can safely reopen.
Delaware health officials on Thursday said there are now more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases in the state. COVID-19-related deaths have reached 52.
There are currently 1,003 cases in New Castle County, 698 in Sussex County and 352 in Kent County.
Carney says it is too early for Delaware to consider reopening.
"We're nowhere ready to get on the starting line in terms of the three phases of the recovery," Carney said.
On Thursday, officials announced an inmate from Sussex Community Corrections Center has tested positive for COVID-19 and an additional correctional officer from James T. Vaughn Correctional Center has also tested positive. Fourteen correctional officers have now tested positive for the virus.
Fifty-six additional inmates were proactively tested for coronavirus, officials say.
"DOC is employing aggressive isolation, monitoring, testing and treatment protocols to help us act in real time to combat the threat of COVID-19 to our facilities," Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said.
The state also announced its first death at a 24/7 care facility on Thursday -- a 57-year-old male resident of Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City.
