MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- As of Monday, 95 Mainers have died out of 2,418 COVID-19 cases. 2,152 of these cases are confirmed by test and 266 are probable.
- 285 Mainers have been hospitalized, 1,699 Mainers have recovered.
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- Governor Janet Mills has extended Maine's statewide stay-safer-at-home order to May 31
- Gov. Mills extended the state of emergency proclamation to June 11.
- Read Maine Governor Janet Mills' detailed plan to reopen Maine economy during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Read Maine Phase 1 COVID-19 Prevention Checklist to help business reopen with reduced coronavirus restrictions
- A timeline of the coronavirus pandemic in Maine
- Filing for unemployment still dominating discussions around Maine. Here's our story on how to file for Maine unemployment. You can scroll down for more resources available to Mainers
- Local businesses are the backbones of our communities. NEWS CENTER Maine cares about our state and asks that you support your local business and restaurants right now. If you are a business owner, please register your business. If you want to support a local business, enter your zip code and find out what’s OPEN NEAR YOU.
- Subscribe to 'break time with NEWS CENTER Maine' our new newsletter. Delivered to your email inbox for your break time.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
- Maine CDC now releasing COVID-19 data by zip code
- Retail stores are open but are customers venturing out?
- Hydroxychloroquine no better than placebo to prevent COVID-19, rigorous study finds
- Movie theater chain AMC warns it may not survive the pandemic
- Behind each statistic is a story: Dr. Nirav Shah shares story of Maine woman who died in her 100s
2 p.m.
The Maine CDC reported one additional death of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state death total to 95.
The additional death announced Wednesday was a man in his 70s from Knox County. His death is the first death in that county.
Of the 2,418 COVID-19 cases in Maine, 2,152 are confirmed by test and 266 are probable (meaning someone who has not tested positive but has been in close contact with someone who has).
1,699 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
285 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. 40 people in Maine are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 14 being treated in intensive care units and 10 on ventilators.
The Maine CDC is investigating an outbreak that could be associated with the Eldredge Lumber facility in York County. There have been a total of 13 people associated with the facility who have tested positive for COVID-19. Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said the Maine CDC is investigating the outbreak and has recommended universal testing for all who work at the facility.
There remains a total of seven cases at the Proctor and Gamble facility in Auburn. The Maine CDC continues its investigation at that facility.
In the past week in Maine, Dr. Shah said the volume of tests done in the state has jumped by about 20 percent.
There have been 9,090 PCR tests done in the past seven days. 3.5 percent of those tests were positive for COVID-19. Dr. Shah said this is a good sign.
36 orders of personal protective equipment (PPE) will be distributed to healthcare facilities across the state on Wednesday.
- 'Farm to Pantry' program aims to help Maine farmers and feed the hungry
- Report: Fauci says US should have 100 million coronavirus vaccine doses by year's end
- Mills' new 'COVID passport' plan could help out-of-staters avoid 14-day quarantine
- VERIFY: Yes, tear gas can help spread COVID-19
- VERIFY: It’s unlikely to get COVID-19 from wastewater
- Baxter State Park continues phased reopening of trails, campgrounds
- New tech helps Maine CDC in the fight against the coronavirus
- Virtual choir helps unify Maine high school students' voices while apart
THE DATA
Dr. Nirav Shah made clear that when the Maine CDC reports deaths, they are reporting that someone has died who had been confirmed positive with COVID-19, not the cause of death specifically. The cause of death determination is left to the medical examiner.
According to Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, as of a few days ago, there were roughly 2,900 Mainers tested each week. This includes people tested through the state lab in Augusta, as well as large commercial testing companies like LabCorp. Dr. Shah said right now, the positivity rate is over 5%, meaning for every 100 people tested, about 5 or 6 are positive. Compared to other states, whose positivity rates are 10 or 15%, Maine is doing better, Dr. Shah says. He says he'd like to see Maine's positivity rate around 2%, which is what South Korea's is. To do that, Dr. Shah says testing must increase two or three-fold.
RESOURCES
- Maine food resources and retail adjustments
- How to file for Maine unemployment
- Will you get a stimulus check if you receive Social Security or disability, or didn’t file a tax return?
- Stimulus check calculator: See how much you'll likely be getting
- Millions of Americans will soon get stimulus checks. But here's who won't.
- Maine small businesses can apply for 'forgivable loans'
- Maine school and business closings
- What shelter-in-place, stay-at-home orders mean
- What Homeland Security deems 'essential businesses'
MAINE CDC BRIEFINGS
Coronavirus, COVID-19 Background
The official name for the coronavirus is “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes is named “coronavirus disease 2019” or “COVID-19” for short. Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which can infect people and animals. The viruses can cause the common cold or more serious diseases like SARS, MERS, and COVID-19.
The CDC says symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and in some cases sore throat.
The CDC says there are simple steps to take to reduce the possible spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Stay home while you're sick and avoid close contact with others
The Maine Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday, March 10 that they would be holding daily coronavirus briefings with director Dr. Nirav Shah to keep the public up to date on the situation in Maine.