Like many states in the US, Delaware continues to grapple with COVID-19 cases and deaths. This prompted Gov. John Carney to impose Delaware vaccine mandates to ensure that all state employees got inoculated or regularly tested for the virus. The order was issued to combat the rising positive tests of the Delta variant, but it also means that non-compliant state workers could lose their jobs. The mandate has had a positive reception from ChristianCare and Delaware Health Association, but healthcare workers view it unfair as it denies them their personal freedom. It also means termination from duty for those who don’t comply.
Although Delaware has managed to contain COVID-19 transmissions, the Northeastern state continues to record new cases. According to the Delaware Department of Public Health (DPH), the state has recorded a total of 118,544 positive cases of coronavirus since March 11, 2020, with 1,875 fatalities. The report, issued on August 26, 2021, further revealed that the seven-day average in positive Delaware COVID cases reduced by 0.2% from the previous week.
The DPH also reported positive tests of COVID-19 variant strains, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Delta was the most prevalent variant, accounting for 97% of the total positive tests for variant strains.
The state has managed to vaccinate over 70% of the population, which compelled the state administration to lift most Delaware COVID restrictions. However, those who’ve not been vaccinated are mandated to wear face masks in public areas.
More on Delaware COVID statistics available here.
Delawareans received the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in early December 2020. Front-line healthcare workers were the first to get vaccinated while the general public began receiving vaccines in March.
Delaware Gov. John Carney issued vaccine mandates on August 21 to stop further spread of the Delta variant. According to the Delaware vaccine mandates, all the 14,000 state workers, including healthcare professionals, must get vaccinated for coronavirus by September 30, 2021, or undergo regular testing.
Gov. Carney also specified that any state employee who will not get vaccinated by September 21 would lose their job unless exempted due to medical or religious reasons. The order came after the DPH recorded a daily average of 198 new cases over the previous week. Ninety-nine percent of the cases occurred among the unvaccinated.
Learn more about Delaware vaccine orders here.
The Delaware vaccine mandates have elicited mixed reactions from state administrators, healthcare workers, and the general public.
Dr. Ken Silverstein, the chief physician executive of ChristianCare, supported vaccine mandates, saying that scientists proved the vaccine’s effectiveness in saving lives by facts. He also acknowledged that the surging COVID-19 cases occur among the unvaccinated. Therefore, adhering to the Delaware vaccine mandates is the only way to protect each other from the deadly virus.
On the other hand, the vaccine mandate denies public workers the right to personally decide whether or not to get inoculated. They believe the vaccination process is an experiment and that the state administration and news media did not reveal the side effects among patients.
Furthermore, state employees who don’t comply with the order may end up losing their jobs. Many healthcare workers feel unfairly treated, considering they were the front-liners in caring for COVID-19 patients in 2020, and now they’ll be terminated from work for not getting vaccinated.
Gather more insights into the implications of vaccine mandates in Delaware here.
Delaware issued vaccine mandates to prevent COVID-19 spread. Healthcare administrators support the order, but healthcare workers say it suppresses their personal freedom to decide for themselves. It’s a stalemate for the state workers, who, at the moment, have no choice but to adhere to the mandates.
The Coastal Network is an outlet committed to providing a voice against corruption and advocating for transparency in the Delaware court system, business world and beyond.
For more on corruption in the United States, including the Delaware Court system, visit www.coastalnetwork.comDelaware’s Attorney General Kathy Jennings is proud to announce some of Delaware’s latest reforms to their justice system to ensure that the state continues to make progress towards fair and just prison sentences for certain crimes. The recent reforms passed in Delaware ban life sentences in prison for certain offenses such as drug offenders and encourage less harsh punishments for repeat, perpetual offenders.
Delaware is shifting their focus to more serious and violent crimes when handing out harsher sentences. Instead, Delaware wants to focus on allowing the judge more discretion and more options for sentencing drug offenders. Many criminal justice reform advocates are also encouraging shorter prison terms in exchange for sending drug offenders to a rehabilitation center where they can get the help they need to overcome addiction and improve their own quality of life in the future.
Another step that Delaware is currently taking includes holding police officers responsible for their conduct. The current legislation that is on the table was proposed by Senator Tizzy Lockman and is called SB 149. This proposal is another key step for Delaware in the State’s effort to address criminal justice reform and to protect the policemen who serve the local communities. Many lawmakers in Delaware believe that the SB 149 bill was introduced on the emotional morning of the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder on May 25th. This bill also moves to make all records of police misconduct public to help restore the public’s faith in law enforcement in the State of Delaware. Legislation like this will help weed out the select few “bad seeds” in a municipality’s police department, ensuring our law enforcement are top-tier officials looking out for our best interests. It’s a great move on the part of Delaware as this will help to restore support to our police officers across the state while minimizing corruption.
Delaware is seeking to pass a criminal justice reform bill to make police misconduct records public in Delaware. The bill comes in light of Delaware looking to improve the lives of those who are convicted of drug offenses or other “non-violent crimes. Currently, Delaware has 975,000 residents but has at least 3,275 prisoners serving life sentences for drugs, property, or other nonviolent crimes as of 2012. There are also a total of 1.3 million prisoners in the United States out of a population of 328.2 million as of 2019.
Moreover, at least 2.38 million people, or 698 in every 100,000 individuals in the United States, were imprisoned at some point as of 2016. These are astounding numbers compared to many other developed countries. The jailed population of the United States costs $800+ billion annually. Bill SB 149 aims to help keep the sentences of non-violent offenders to a minimum and to limit the number of people jailed in Delaware at a given time.
Delaware is joining many other states in demanding criminal justice reforms to give people a better chance at rehabilitation and live a quality of life for non-violent crimes. Ensuring that people are given the tools they need to keep their lives on the right track is key to helping individuals overcome drug addiction and other problems that they might face in their lifetime.
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Delaware is facing a serious housing shortage as we emerge from the COVID pandemic. That shortage affects many people whose income is considered “average” in Delaware (right around $33,628 per individual or around $68,287 per household). Many average-income families are finding affordable housing tough to come by. Others fear that sometime in 2021 or 2022, they may not afford their rent or mortgage payments, which can end up with residents being displaced from their homes. Along with a housing shortage on the market, these are concerning trends to see as we move into the second half of 2021.
COVID had a massive impact on the housing market in almost all the United States, which is no exception in Delaware. Many families are finding themselves struggling to find affordable housing, and the same is true in Delaware. Many homes have risen in value, but incomes have stayed relatively stagnant or even taken a hit due to the COVID shutdowns. Many states are experiencing low inventories of homes, and Delaware is indeed one of them. Many people fear losing their homes due to the inability to pay as they get back on their feet in the second half of 2021 and into 2022, and the problem will only worsen if home prices continue to surge to the same levels we have seen in recent months.
Inventories are now lower in Delaware than they were in 2020. Home prices are also rising rapidly, with an estimated 13.6% increase in home values in 2021. The average home in Delaware costs $236,300, and the average cost is $152/square foot. However, those numbers are quickly rising when many homes on the market in Delaware right now are listed at prices north of $300,000. These are worrying trends as we emerge from the COVID pandemic, and home prices continue to rise, and income stays largely stagnant. These trends are not sustainable for the long-term future.
As for right now, Delaware is largely a seller’s market.
The impact of the current housing market in Delaware is favoring the wealthier residents in the area. Many average-income families are struggling to find homes available for them, and the housing inventory is 55% lower today than it was a year ago during the COVID pandemic.
Buyers consistently change their list of “must-haves” and often have to compromise on certain features of a home, such as hardwood floors or granite countertops. Compromising these “desires” is often necessary to find a home that fits in the family’s price range.
The Coastal Network is an outlet committed to providing a voice against corruption and advocating for transparency in the Delaware court system, business world and beyond.
For more on corruption in the United States, including the Delaware Court system, visit www.coastalnetwork.comWe’re not entirely there yet, but the US economy is undoubtedly opening back up, meaning folks are getting back to more traditional work days and their old daily routines.
Americans are flocking to vaccination centers to ensure they’re protected against COVID-19, the virus that brought the world to a screeching halt in early 2020. This should be good news, as businesses that have been closed or operating at partial capacity for the past year-plus can begin to bounce back financially.
Surprisingly, however, businesses in Delaware are reporting that it’s difficult to find employees, something that’s hard to explain given the massive layoffs and pay cuts that occurred as global commerce was disrupted by the effects of the pandemic.
The rapid retirement rate of baby boomers is also partly to blame for the loss of skilled workers. “We can’t build technicians with technical skills fast enough, and we have to do that to stay competitive,” said Michael Quaranta, President of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve used up the ranks of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC, welders, and all tradesmen….The sooner we can help employees of all ages and industries understand that training, development and re-scaling are a constant in their life, the better we will be.”
Generous unemployment benefits are a major reason why people are unwilling to accept employment right now. Imagine if you were struggling and would earn less in your job than you earn through unemployment benefits. While not the respectable thing to do, the choice many are making is to take unemployment payments if they’re more than your wages in a low-paying job.
“If I’m making such and such money from unemployment insurance, I’m reluctant to take a job that pays the same or less,” said Thomas Dougherty, chief of the Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information.
Currently, folks can go through the Department of Labor to file for standard unemployment, federal pandemic unemployment compensation, pandemic emergency unemployment compensation, and pandemic unemployment assistance. Most Americans also received at least two direct payments from the federal government over the past 12 to 18 months, padding peoples’ income from unemployment.
Delaware, for its part, temporarily waived the requirement that people receiving unemployment must actively look for jobs. While that rule is expected to be reinstated this summer, it enabled many folks to file claims under zero pressure to find gainful employment.
The residents of Delaware have made great strides in terms of vaccination and the spread of COVID-19. Indeed, 69.3% of those 18 or older have received at least one dose, according to the CDC. Meanwhile, 82% of people aged 65 and up are fully vaccinated, as are 59% of the 18 and up population.
Since the onset of the pandemic there have been 1,693 deaths in the state of Delaware. The good news, though, is that new cases are going down as vaccination rates go up. New cases over a 7-day average were in the 700s and 800s last December and January, but are all the way down to 21 as of June 24, with just 23 hospitalizations throughout the state.
It’s critical Delawareans get back to work. Sure, it’s fantastic that the government stepped up and helped folks with their financial difficulties by offering expanded unemployment benefits. That said, it’s time to reignite the economy, and that means our population must rejoin the workforce.
Pandemic assistance is going to run dry, and that alone should cause many to get serious about finding a job.
In August 2020 Gov. John Carney signed Executive Order #43, which created a training and redeployment program to help get displaced workers back into the workforce. Training programs in the so-called rapid workforce development initiative focus on occupations and skills currently in demand in Delaware.
As more Delawareans get their second dose and become fully inoculated, we’ll see businesses continue to open up. And as favorable unemployment benefits begin to disappear, we’ll see more individuals clawing to get back into the workforce.
If you are interested in getting your COVID 19 vaccination in Delaware, you can find more information here.President Biden introduced a goal that would see at least 70% of the population in the US get one COVID-19 vaccine by July 4th. The ambitious initiative comes as cases in the US have recently plummeted along with the number of deaths caused by COVID-19. Some states have higher vaccination rates than others, but the goal of reaching 70% by July 4th generally seems unlikely.
The next question is: How is Delaware performing when it comes to getting shots into people’s arms? Will the state meet Biden’s 70% goal?
Delaware has reported 110,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,691 resident deaths as of June 22nd, 2021. Delaware has a total population of about 973,764 residents as of 2019. While COVID-19 cases have largely plummeted, the new Delta variant that is still spreading rapidly throughout the US is a cause of concern throughout the United States, including Delaware.
The fear is that unvaccinated residents are left especially vulnerable to the Delta variant, which has proven that it may be even more dangerous than the COVID-19 virus that swept across the US for a large part of 2020 and through the winter of 2021. While the exact mortality rate of the Delta variant isn’t yet known, it’s believed that vaccinated individuals are still largely protected from the COVID-19 Delta variant.
Delaware currently appears to be making substantial progress on reaching Biden’s 70% vaccination rate by July 4. Currently, Delaware has administered 1,001,000 vaccine doses to its population. Only 469,000 residents are fully vaccinated. Delaware has fully vaccinated 48.2% of residents. At least 67.2% of all adults aged 15 and up (children aged 12 and up can get a Pfizer vaccine only), which is the age range that is generally recommended as fully safe to vaccinate against COVID-19.
Currently, Delaware is vaccinating about 3,000 residents per day. The vaccination rates continue to decline in Delaware as more people are willing to take the vaccine to reach “fully vaccinated status.” It’s reasonable to think that Delaware will be close to the Biden Administration’s vaccination goal of at least 70% of all residents receiving at least one dose of a COVID 19 vaccine by July 4th. If Delaware doesn’t reach the goal on exactly July 4th, it should happen very soon after.
Most COVID-19 restrictions have already been lifted in Delaware, including the mask mandate. Most restrictions have been relaxed, and social distancing requirements have been lifted. All business capacity limits have been lifted, and events for over 250 people are permitted with DPH compliance measures in place. The only place a mask mandate is in place is when someone is a) using public transit, b) in schools, c) in healthcare settings, d) in nursing facilities/group homes, and e) prisons/congregate settings like homeless shelters.
Coming closer to the 70% vaccination rate can help Delaware (and other states) lift the few remaining restrictions that are left in place. The minimum of 70% is also believed to be the lower threshold for the number of immunizations needed to reach so-called “herd immunity” when experts state that 70 – 85% of the population being “immune” or “vaccinated” is considered for herd immunity.
As more people get vaccinated, and life gets back to normal, businesses will continue to open up, and the economy will continue to bounce back. If you are interested in getting your COVID-19 vaccination in Delaware, you can find more information here.
The Coastal Network is an outlet committed to providing a voice against corruption and advocating for transparency in the Delaware court system, business world and beyond.
For more on corruption in the United States, including the Delaware Court system, visit www.coastalnetwork.comThe Delaware Court of Chancery is characteristic in handling and solving disputes and lawsuits involving corporations’ internal affairs and other commercial entities in Delaware. A chancellor presides over the court with the help of five vice-chancellors.
After serving for five years, Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard is retiring, having served less than half (6 years) of his term. In this article, we look at what leads to his retirement, his achievements and cases, and who is set to replace him at the helm. The article also sheds light on the TransPerfect case and its influence on Bouchard’s leadership.
The Honorable Andre G. Bouchard has served as the Chancellor of the Court of Chancery since May 5, 2012. Before his appointment, Chancellor Bouchard worked in the private practice in Wilmington, Delaware, for 28 years as the managing partner of his corporate and commercial litigation firm, Bouchard Margules & Friedlander, which he founded in 1996.
Chancellor Bouchard also served in the capacity of a corporate litigator in the Delaware office of Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before founding Bouchard Margules & Friedlander. The Walt Disney Company case against its investors’ claims of a wasteful $140 million severance package paid to Michael Ovitz in 1997 marks one of his most notable lawsuits in private practice.
The Chancellor handled numerous remarkable cases during his tenure. Bouchard oversaw the highly controversial TransPerfect case, between the company’s President and New York business mogul, Phil Shawe, and his ex-partner and fiancé Elizabeth Elting.
Corwin v. KKR Financial Holdings LLC (2015) is another of Bouchard’s landmark cases, which differently reorganized mergers and acquisitions litigations. The case gave rise to the doctrine of “Corwin cleansing,” as Bouchard pointed out.
In a controversial move, Chancellor Andre Bouchard ordered the sale of TransPerfect in favor of Elting. In this process, he also hired former Skadden Arps colleague and friend Robert Pincus as custodian to oversee the sale of the company.
Opposed to the ruling, Shawe bought out Elting’s interests and control of TransPerfect. This ruling has brought Bouchard more criticism by other groups such as the Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware (CPBD).
Shawe’s and TransPerfect’s attorneys have even filed a lawsuit against Robert Pincus for the undisclosed bills he and his firm, Skadden Arps, continuously charged the company. Bouchard ordered the company to make a $45 million payment to cover fees and expenses to Pincus, his law firm, and other parties with a non-disclosure requirement. Two years after the case was settled, Pincus continued to bill the company for undisclosed fees, including a $1,475 an hour fee. As the Chancellor in charge of the case, Bouchard faced criticism from many in the business community for allowing this to happen.
Chancellor Andre Bouchard has decided to retire after more than 34 years in the Delaware Court of Chancery. He tended his letter of resignation to Governor John Carney, which is meant to take effect from April 30, to spend more time with his family and pursue personal interests.
The retirement comes after five years in office, with seven years remaining in his term. One must wonder why the Chancellor has cut his term so short, and whether heat from the controversial TransPerfect case convinced him to abandon his post early.
Gov. Carney is likely to replace the outgoing Chancellor with the Vice-Chancellor, Kathleen McCormick. The new head of the Delaware Court of Chancery is expected to help the governor avert the high criticism from CPBD. Will a Chancery Court under McCormick get back the integrity lost under Bouchard?
The Coastal Network is an outlet committed to providing a voice against corruption and advocating for transparency in the Delaware court system, business world and beyond.
For more on corruption in the United States, including the Delaware Court system, visit www.coastalnetwork.com
Recent issues with Covid vaccine rollouts have cultivated ideal conditions for scammers in the state of Delaware. Left to fend for themselves and seek alternative avenues for obtaining the vaccine, many residents have been easy targets for phone fraudsters. Promises of vaccines that are never delivered or higher spots on lists for the vaccine that don’t even exist, have many elderly and other high-risk residents emptying their wallets only to arrive at another roadblock on the path to a solution. Each state has different guidelines for vaccine availability, leaving state officials to shoulder the blame for all the recent issues in the state. What’s going on in Delaware?