MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- As of Wednesday, 142 Mainers have died out of 5,604 total COVID-19 cases. 5,011 of these cases are confirmed by test and 593 are probable.
- 459 Mainers have been hospitalized, 4,880 Mainers have recovered.
- Stage 3 began on July 1; here are the Stage 3 reopening checklists for businesses
- VERIFY: Requirement to wear a face mask does not violate constitutional rights
- Maine is open for business, here's what you need to know
- Read about all the important coronavirus-related orders currently in place in Maine
- Going out? CDC shares tips to stay safe amid coronavirus pandemic
- Gov. Mills' administration releases guidance for town meetings and elections during COVID-19 pandemic
- 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
- 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, OCTOBER 7
Maine CDC reported zero additional deaths of people with COVID-19, meaning the state death total remains at 142.
Of the 5,604 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 5,011 are confirmed by test and 593 are probable.
459 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness.
4,880 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
The Maine CDC reported an additional 20 COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths for Tuesday. There are now 5,565 total cases; of the total cases, 4,983 are confirmed and 582 are probable.
Three additional Mainers have been hospitalized since Monday's update.
4,839 Mainers have recovered.
On Tuesday, Gov. Janet Mills announced Maine will enter Stage 4 of reopening on Oct. 13. Stage 4 allows the increase of indoor seating limits to 50% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less.
Mills joined Tuesday's 2 p.m. state coronavirus update to discuss the plan in more detail. Watch live here:
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah says there are currently seven Mainers hospitalized due to COVID-19, one of whom is in intensive care; none are on ventilators.
Dr. Shah says in the past 30 days alone, 29 people have been hospitalized across the state.
Outbreak Updates:
- Tuesday morning, the Maine CDC opened an outbreak investigation into the Applebee's restaurant in Auburn after three cases among staff members were reported.
- Pinnacle Health and Rehab at Sanford: A total of 16 cases of COVID-19.
- ND Paper Mill in Rumford: 24 total cases. Dr. Shah says the mill is gearing up for its third round of universal testing, which is currently planned for Thursday or Friday of this week. After testing, the Maine CDC will further examine those results.
- Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville: A total of 19 cases that have been identified; seven are among Maine residents and 12 are among out-of-state residents.
Testing
Maine's seven-day testing rate is 0.58 percent statewide. For context, Dr. Shah says the nationwide rate is 5 percent.
In Maine, roughly 437 PCR tests are being conducted per every 100,000 people; the nationwide average is 283 tests per 100,000, Dr. Shah says.
Milestones
Dr. Shah while he hasn't given updates recently about where the state stands on PPE distribution, "it has very much been continuing in the background for the past several months—indeed even before the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Maine."
Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC's public health emergency team recently delivered the 2.6-millionth piece of PPE to health care providers across the state.
"To put that number in perspective—that is two pieces of PPE per every person in Maine on average," Dr. Shah said. "That just goes to show that the amount of work that has continued to occur to ensure that health care providers and facilities have what they need to quickly respond to cases of COVID-19 and keep their patients safe all throughout that process."
Gov. Mills
Mills said at the outset of the pandemic, she joined governors across the U.S. in issuing a stat-at-home order to mitigate the spread of the virus.
"That was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make," Mills said.
She said in April because Maine people did stay home a did adopt health and safety precautions, the spread of COVID-19 began to slow down in Maine, making it possible to begin reopening. Restrictions were gradually eased while maintaining certain precautions to help keep Mainers safe.
On Oct. 13, Maine will move into Stage 4 of the plan to reopen the economy.
Click here to read more about the plan and Mills' order.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
The Maine CDC reported an additional 26 cases of COVID-19, and no additional deaths for Monday.
There are now 5,545 total cases; of those, 4,963 are confirmed and 582 and probable. 4,807 Mainers have recovered.
Maine CDC reported zero additional deaths of people with COVID-19, meaning the state death total remains at 142.
Of the 5,519 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 4,944 are confirmed by test and 575 are probable.
454 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness.
4,782 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
THE DATA
RESOURCES
- Maine food resources and retail adjustments
- How to file for Maine unemployment
- Beginning of plan to reopen Maine schools
- 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'
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) is holding coronavirus briefings on Tuesdays and Thursdays with director Dr. Nirav Shah to keep the public up to date on the situation in Maine