DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is encouraging members of the Christian Church of Destiny in Dover and recent conference attendees to get tested for COVID-19.
DPH said it is making the recommendation after at least three members tested positive. At least two of the individuals attended recent services at Destiny Christian Church before learning they were positive for the disease, DPH said.
Statewide, the DPH reported 113 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with all numbers starting at 6 p.m. Sunday. Delaware’s new positive cases have been triple digits in six of the last eight days.
Also on Monday, Washington DC added Delaware to its 14-day quarantine list. Delaware’s moving average of new daily COVID-19 cases is over 10 per 100,000 residents, putting the state on the Washington, DC list.
Delaware is currently on the 14-day quarantine list for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and has been since last week.
The current hospitalizations in Delaware are 63 and 18 are in critical condition. The DPH also announced zero additional COVID-19 related deaths as the number of Delaware deaths remained at 529.
While new cases are trending, the percentage of positive tests has remained below the recommended 5% mark by the World Health Organization. Data released Monday by DPH put it at 3.7% with the seven-day moving average at 4.3% as the state continues to encourage mass testing.
There will be a free trial event Tuesday at Destiny Christian Church, 2161 Forrest Ave in Dover, from 10 am to 1 pm for those who may have been exposed to the virus.
The Destiny Christian Church held a couple of conferences the past two weekends, including a three-day conference last weekend called the Life Conference 2020 and a three-day conference the weekend of July 17-19, called The Conference Prophetic.
DPH said each conference attracted a few hundred people, all of whom could have potentially been exposed to the virus.
Today’s free trial event will also be open to the public. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required, and can be completed at delaware.curativeinc.com.
“Knowing your COVID-19 status is one of the most important things you can do to prevent the spread of the virus,” DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said in a statement.
“Depending on when positive people received their test results, their last exposures to others in the congregation, and major weekend events, we strongly recommend that anyone who has been in this church for the past two or three weeks the exam is done. Doing so will help us identify any additional positives and ensure that these people isolate themselves at home to prevent further spread of the disease in our community. “
Those interested in other test sites can visit www.de.gov/testing for availability this week.
DPH asks participants not to eat, drink, or brush their teeth for 20 minutes before receiving the viral test.
