Delaware governor gets first dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

DOVER, Delaware (WPVI) -- Delaware Gov. John Carney received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.

On Saturday, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at the weekend Speedway event, organized by the Delaware Division of Public Health.

"Tracey and I could not be more grateful for the hard work of scientists who made these vaccines a reality, and made this day possible for so many Delawareans. All three COVID-19 vaccines are safe and extremely effective against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. We urge every Delawarean to get their shot as soon as possible. That's how we'll beat this virus," said Carney in a statement on Sunday.

More than 10,000 Delawareans received the COVID-19 vaccine at Dover International Speedway on Saturday and Sunday.

Delaware officials said last week that pharmacies could begin vaccinating Delawareans 50 and older, and that hospitals and other health care providers could vaccinate patients 16 and older who have high- and moderate-risk medical conditions.

On Tuesday, the state opened its vaccination waiting list to anyone 50 or older.

As of early Friday afternoon, state officials reported 88,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and another 5,300 probable cases.

The number of reported COVID-related deaths stood at 1,536, with more than 720 deaths involving residents of long-term care facilities.

As of Saturday, March 27, Delaware providers had administered 424,975 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Carney last week extended the state of emergency he first declared more than a year ago for another 30 days.