On Tuesday, Gov. John Carney announced tightening of coronavirus restrictions in Delaware. The new restrictions include a 10-person capacity on home gatherings and lower capacity at restaurants and bars that will be in place ahead of Thanksgiving.
Restaurants in Delaware will be limited to 30 percent capacity indoors -- and other public or private gatherings and youth sports must limit attendance -- under a set of new restrictions that Gov. John Carney announced Tuesday.
Among the restrictions:
- Indoor gatherings in homes are capped at no more than 10 people
- Indoor gatherings that happen in places other than homes are limited to 30 percent of the venue’s capacity -- and no more than 50 people, in any case. That includes weddings, funerals, religious services performances and political gatherings.
- Outdoor public gatherings are limited to 50 people, though up to 250 people may be allowed with a plan approved by the Delaware Division of Public Health.
- Delaware youth sports organizations, teams and venues cannot host or participate in tournaments with out-of-state teams as of 8 a.m. on December 1. Delaware youth sports teams are not allowed to travel across states lines for tournaments.
The changes were announced in a news release from Carney's office Tuesday. The governor then held an afternoon news briefing.
Restaurants face some of the biggest changes as indoor capacity is cut in half. However, the governor's office said restaurants would be allowed to have additional outdoor seating.
No changes were announced for K-12 schools, which will continue on a hybrid model of in-person and virtual instruction.
Carney also is expected to announce an expansion of a state relief grants program for businesses. That will provide up to $25 million in additional relief for hard-hit businesses, including restaurants and taprooms. The application deadline is December 4, 2020, and can be found at delbiz.com/relief.
