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Here's the latest news on the coronavirus and its impact on Delaware and the region, for April 2. Complete free coverage from Delaware Online can be found here.

Delaware coronavirus case tracker | Where and how to get tested | Which workers face the greatest risk | Restaurants offering takeout and delivery | Stay-at-home order FAQ | Stimulus check calculator | How to file for unemployment | Child care FAQ

Delaware ShopRite employee tests positive for coronavirus

Thursday, April 2, 4:53 p.m.

A ShopRite employee has tested positive for coronavirus, store officials confirmed Thursday afternoon to Delaware Online/The News Journal.

The employee worked at the ShopRite of 1st State Plaza on W. Newport Pike. The company did not say when the employee last worked and when they tested positive.

The grocery store held its typical operating hours Thursday.

READ: Delaware ShopRite employee tests positive for coronavirus

— Brandon Holveck

Unemployment claims triple Delaware's previous monthly record due to coronavirus shutdown

Thursday, April 2, 3:50 p.m.

Unemployment claims in Delaware have once again soared past historic records.

Close to 19,000 people filed for unemployment in Delaware in the week ending last Friday, according to the state labor department.

The official tally of 18,987 claims includes only initial claims, and comes in addition to the then-record 10,720 claims from March 15 to March 21.

In the past 30 years, the state’s record number of unemployment claims within one month was about 9,800, according to Darryl Scott, director of the Division of Unemployment Insurance.

READ: Unemployment claims triple Delaware's previous monthly record due to coronavirus shutdown

— Brandon Holveck

As coronavirus spreads through Delaware nursing homes, families wonder if they will be able to say goodbye.

Thursday, April 2, 3:25 p.m.

As Delaware braces for a substantial spike in confirmed coronavirus cases, nursing homes and assisted living centers are taking unprecedented steps by banning family members from regularly visiting their loved ones, some of whom are close to death.

John Dean isn’t sure how much time his father has, and the family worries he will die alone after he spent most of his life consoling church members and presiding over funerals.

“We want more for him than that,” John Dean said. “He deserves more for himself than that.”

READ: As coronavirus spreads through Delaware nursing homes, families wonder if they will be able to say goodbye.

— Meredith Newman

Newark Police crack down on coronavirus gathering violations after 20 found in apartment

Thursday, April 2, 1:45 p.m.

Newark Police aren't kidding around when it comes to enforcing restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, recently citing two people for hosting a 20-person birthday party.

Shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, Newark Police Department officers were dispatched to an apartment on East Main Street after receiving reports of loud music, department spokesman Lt. Andrew Rubin said.

Arriving officers confirmed the music and were able to contact the two tenants, who said they were hosting a birthday party. In addition to the tenants, 18 other people were also inside the apartment.

Police ultimately cited the two tenants for violating Newark's noise ordinance and its gathering ordinance, which the city passed on March 16 prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people.

READ: Newark Police crack down on coronavirus gathering violations after 20 found in apartment

— Isabel Hughes

Retired priest dies of coronavirus, becoming 4th Little Sisters of the Poor resident to die

Thursday, April 2, 10:40 a.m.

A retired Wilmington priest has died of the coronavirus, making him the fourth resident of the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Jeanne Jugan Residence to succumb from the virus.

Rev. Hilary John Rodgers died April 1 at the age 75, the Catholic Dioceses of Wilmington said Thursday. He suffered from underlying health conditions. The nursing home announced last week that seven residents had tested positive for the virus.

“Father Hilary was a warm and caring priest. He was dearly loved by the people he served over his many years of ministry as a priest and religious brother,” Bishop W. Francis Malooly said in a statement.

READ: Retired priest dies of coronavirus, becoming 4th Little Sisters of the Poor resident to die

— Meredith Newman

State confirms total of 368 coronavirus cases, 11 deaths; Sussex sees more than 100 cases

Wednesday, April 1

State health officials confirmed an additional 49 cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total to 368.

Another Delawarean has also died, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 11.

The most recent death involves an 84-year-old man from Sussex County. The man was hospitalized and had significant underlying health conditions, health officials said.

As of April 1, the state had confirmed 226 cases in New Castle County, 41 in Kent County and 101 in Sussex County, according to the state's website.

READ: State confirms total of 368 coronavirus cases, 11 deaths; Sussex sees more than 100 cases

— Meredith Newman

Frontier will not restart DE flights as planned. Will 'revisit' the idea this fall

Thursday, April 2, 12:37 p.m.

Frontier Airlines will not fly out of Delaware for the foreseeable future.

The Delaware River and Bay Authority, owners of the New Castle airport, said the low-cost airline has postponed its "planned service launch indefinitely," but will examine the situation again in the fall.

"We will continue to work with Frontier Airlines and look forward to hearing from them this fall," DRBA spokesman James Salmon said.

Asked for the earliest possible date that Frontier could start flights, Salmon said he didn't have any additional information.

READ: Frontier will not restart DE flights as planned. Will 'revisit' the idea this fall

— Karl Baker

Tradition a welcome respite for cooped up anglers as Delaware trout season kicks off early

Thursday, April 2, 12:12 p.m.

Chris Dodds, his boots rippling the water at the edge of Wilson Run at Brandywine Creek State Park, noted the weather was the same as it always is on the first day of trout fishing season in northern New Castle County.

"It's cold and rainy like every opening day, unfortunately, is," Dodds, of Pike Creek, said. "It just makes it more rewarding when you catch a fish."

But he and others along the stream agreed: There were differences to this year's trout season — more elbow room, for one thing.

And it was a Tuesday in March, not the traditional first Saturday of April marking the first day anglers could vie for the stocked trout in several area creeks.

More important, though, was the fact that this trout season was happening at all.

READ: Tradition a welcome respite for cooped up anglers as Delaware trout season kicks off early

— William Bretzger

Highmark to waive costs for Delaware members hospitalized for coronavirus

Thursday, April 2, 9:31 a.m.

Highmark, which insures nearly half the people in Delaware, will waive deductibles, co-insurance and co-pays for members who are hospitalized because of the coronavirus, the company announced Thursday.

This applies to Delawareans who have group employer coverage, as well as Affordable Care Act and Medicare members. The care must be in-network and self-funded groups may choose to opt out of this.

The insurer — which covers about 435,000 people in Delaware — had previously waived out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus testing.

READ: Highmark to waive costs for Delaware members hospitalized for coronavirus

— Meredith Newman

Disinfecting, cleaning business thriving during coronavirus pandemic

Thursday, April 2, 9:24 a.m.

A disaster recovery company was busy going through rooms and offices of a Wilmington nonprofit organization one morning last week.

The workers, employees of National Restoration, are usually repairing facilities damaged by water, mold, fire or smoke. But these days, their work has concentrated on disinfecting facilities where coronavirus is suspected.

"It has been unnerving," said John Marroni, owner of National Restoration. "Just because you just don't know. Nobody knows the right or wrong answers."

READ: Disinfecting, cleaning business thriving during coronavirus pandemic

— Esteban Parra

As schools transition to remote learning, donors and businesses step up to fill the gaps

Thursday, April 2, 5 a.m.

The cars snaked down the street outside EastSide Charter School.

Following the same path that they would to pick up their children after school, parents drove up one by one.

But on Wednesday morning, the Wilmington school wasn’t bustling with its usual 426 students.

Instead, CEO Aaron Bass and school nurse Dottie Lennon stood outside, near a roll cart holding stacks of Chromebooks and – of course – hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

“How are my babies?” Bass shouted to parents and students inside each car. “Do they miss us?”

About 180 EastSide students picked up a laptop this week. Were it not for fundraising and local business partnerships, those students would not have access to a computer or internet over the coming weeks of school closure.

READ: As schools transition to remote learning, donors and businesses step up to fill the gaps

— Natalia Alamdari

Carney restricts gatherings, says business must use social distancing

Wednesday, April 1

Gov. John Carney on Wednesday amended his state of emergency declaration to limit public gatherings to 10 people and force public-facing essential businesses to use social distancing in the workplace.

The new rules are the ninth time Carney has amended his state of emergency, which is designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. On Wednesday, Delaware had 368 confirmed cases and 11 deaths.

READ: Carney restricts gatherings, says business must use social distancing

— Betsy Price

Stuck at home? Delaware plans to flood your social media with reminders to do the Census

Wednesday, April 1

The nationwide coronavirus pandemic is forcing Census outreach workers in Delaware to shift their approach. Shutdown orders have limited group activity and face-to-face contact amid the pandemic.

As officials wait out the virus's effects on Delawareans' ability to meet each other in person, they're banking on a concerted online outreach effort instead to encourage more state residents to spend their time at home during the outbreak to complete their Census questionnaires.

That's despite the federal government's postponements of door-knocking and other in-person operations for at least the next two weeks, in a Census that's already been dogged by fears the responses would be used to target and deport immigrants.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Census Bureau from including a citizenship question on the questionnaire.

READ: Stuck at home? Delaware plans to flood your social media with reminders to do the Census

— Jeanne Kuang

A guide to filing for unemployment in Delaware amid the coronavirus outbreak

Wednesday, April 1

Record numbers of Delaware residents have filed for unemployment or will soon file, as thousands have seen their work evaporate amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In the First State, more than 10,000 people filed for unemployment in the week ending March 21, as more than 3 million people filed nationwide. The state has not released more recent numbers.

With unemployment benefits and processes shifting at the state and national levels, as officials craft ways to alleviate the burden of temporary layoffs and quarantine, here is an up-to-date guide to filing for unemployment in Delaware.

READ: A guide to filing for unemployment in Delaware amid the coronavirus outbreak

— Brandon Holveck

Worried about day care during coronavirus? Here's what you need to know in Delaware

Wednesday, April 1

Starting Monday, many Delaware parents are going to lose access to day care centers.

But for people who don't have any option but to report to work during the coronavirus pandemic, Delaware is creating "emergency child care sites."

All other day care centers have to close on Monday until the end of the state of emergency that Gov. John Carney declared more than two weeks ago. It is in effect until May 15 or the virus abates.

READ: Worried about day care during coronavirus? Here's what you need to know in Delaware

— Sarah Gamard

Coronavirus shows benefits of telemedicine in Delaware. Will it lead to lasting change?

Wednesday, April 1

On any given morning in the intensive care unit of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, about a dozen doctors and health care providers gather outside the open door of a patient's room.

The process, called "rounding," is the daily opportunity for doctors, nurses and specialists to discuss a patient's condition and care.

The problem is, the gathering "goes against any concept of social distancing" practices initiated in the wake of the coronavirus, said Dr. Nicholas Slamon, a critical care specialist at Nemours.

Still, these patients, many of whom are not hospitalized for COVID-19, desperately need care and attention. That's where technology comes in.

READ: Coronavirus shows benefits of telemedicine in Delaware. Will it lead to lasting change?

— Brittany Horn

State to receive over $3.5 million emergency funding from federal government

Wednesday, April 1

The Department of Justice has set aside over $3.5 million in coronavirus emergency funding for Delaware's first responders.

“Nothing is more important than protecting those law enforcement officials entrusted with the responsibility to keep our citizens safe," U.S. Attorney for Delaware David C. Weiss said in a statement. "These funds will help to provide Delaware public safety professionals with the tools necessary to fulfill their responsibilities during these extraordinary times."

The critical funds are planned to help agencies with hiring personnel, paying overtime costs and covering protective equipment and supplies, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

READ: State to receive over $3.5 million emergency funding from federal government

— Nick Perez

DART to allow only 16 passengers per bus, but let them ride for free

Wednesday, April 1

Starting Tuesday all DART buses will be limiting the number of passengers allowed on each bus at one time, but they people who ride will ride for free.

The announcement comes as state officials are scrambling for ways to stop the spread of coronavirus, which currently has more than 300 cases statewide, and is a global pandemic.

Dart buses will limit passengers to 16 people.

DART Spokeswoman Julie Theyerl said that passengers will be asked to board buses from rear doors, unless they need assistance. People who do may still enter through the front.

READ: DART to allow only 16 passengers per bus, but let them ride for free

— Ira Porter

Delaware's prison health care under new management

Wednesday, April 1

Centurion of Delaware LLC has taken over prison health care on time despite a coronavirus pandemic that's changing how life around the world is conducted.

Last month, the Delaware Department of Correction announced that Vienna, Virginia-based Centurion would be taking over medical and behavioral health care at the state's four prisons and its work release facilities on April 1.

"It's tough enough to transition to a new medical and behavioral health [provider] in 30 days, but doing so in the middle of a health pandemic is remarkable," Delaware DOC Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said on Wednesday.

READ: Delaware's prison health care under new management

— Esteban Parra

Iron Hill Brewery now selling groceries, even toilet paper

Wednesday, April 1

In a scramble to stay in business, some restaurants are now not only offering takeout and delivery, but also selling groceries and even toilet paper.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant pared down its menu for takeout at all 16 of its locations and also has added groceries for sale that can hard to find, along with make-at-home meal kits.

"Grocery bundles," costing between $15-$18, can be purchased at its Delaware locations in Newark, the Wilmington Riverfront and Rehoboth Beach. The bundles include 30 eggs, 2 pounds of butter, 1 gallon of whole milk, and an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables.

READ: Iron Hill Brewery now selling groceries, even toilet paper as it adapts to coronavirus pandemic

— Patricia Talorico

Coronavirus cases hit second southern Delaware chicken plant; one employee hospitalized

Wednesday, April 1

Another chicken processing plant in southern Delaware has confirmed employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.

One employee at Mountaire Farms' processing plant in Selbyville tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the company said in a press release.

The employee last worked on March 18, and was recovering at a local hospital with an expectation of possibly being released this week. The company said it will continue paying the sick employee during their recovery.

READ: Coronavirus cases hit second southern Delaware chicken plant; one employee hospitalized

— Maddy Lauria

Newark business to import coronavirus tests with help from 'powerful' people in China

Wednesday, April 1

As states scramble to lay claim to coronavirus tests amid a ballooning pandemic, a Newark importer is deciding which will receive any of the hundreds of thousands he may soon possess.

George Gianforcaro, owner of Indutex USA, expects his order of 400,000 COVID-19 tests will arrive in the United States from China next week. He said he is importing the tests through a connection he has with what he calls a "powerful person" in China who prefers to remain out of the news.

Gianforcaro plans to sell the tests to a handful of states that already have contacted him – including Utah and New York – though Delaware also will receive some because his longtime friend, Chris Coons, is one of the the state’s U.S. senator.

"If Chris was not the senator, I'd think twice about sending them to Delaware," Gianforcaro said.

READ: Newark business to import coronavirus tests with help from 'powerful' people in China

— Karl Baker

Expectant mothers confused, scared amid coronavirus pandemic

Wednesday, April 1

Not much is known about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy. There isn’t yet research available that shows if pregnant women are more likely to contract the disease or to become seriously ill. It’s unknown if the virus could cause problems during birth or impact a newborn baby, according to the CDC.

Not only are new and expectant mothers unsure how COVID-19 could impact their own and their child’s health, but they also must navigate decreased access to support, difficulty finding supplies and uncertainty surrounding the birth.

Hospitals have rapidly tightened rules in an attempt to slow the spread of the pandemic and keep vulnerable patients safe. Many major hospitals in Delaware will now allow just one visitor during birth and recovery.

READ: Expectant mothers confused, scared amid coronavirus pandemic

— Jenna Miller

Delaware public schools are beginning remote learning. But should they fear future lawsuits?

Wednesday, April 1

While students have been out of school for just over two weeks because of coronavirus, many of the traditional public districts are still working out how to do remote learning.

Not every student has access to a computer or the internet, school leaders say. And educating from afar involves a heavier lift for teachers, some of whom have not been trained to deliver instruction via computer.

Some parents have also wondered why charter and private schools were able to more quickly make the jump to remote learning.

Part of that answer is confusion over the law and what services school districts are required to provide in times of crisis.

Beyond equity and technology issues, Delaware public school districts have balked at the idea of remote learning out of fear of being sued, especially related to meeting the needs of special education students.

READ: Delaware public schools are beginning remote learning. But should they fear future lawsuits?

— Natalia Alamdari

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @holveck_brandon.