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Real-time Maine coronavirus, COVID-19 updates: Thursday, May 14

Find developments on the Maine coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak as we work together to separate facts from fear. Thursday, May 14, 2020

MAINE, USA — EVERY NUMBER IS A LIFE: Celebrating the life of loved ones during the faceless anonymity of Maine coronavirus COVID fatalities. 

KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS

THURSDAY MAY 14

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah will provide an update at 2 p.m. NEWS CENTER Maine will stream it live on air, as well as on our website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and mobile app.

2 p.m.

Dr. Shah reports that the three additional people who died with COVID-19 were:

  • Man in his 60s from Penobscot County
  • Woman in her 90s from Cumberland County
  • Man in his 80s from Cumberland County

Dr. Shah gives an update on some of the current outbreak across the state:

  • Falmouth by the Sea: there are 66 cases of COVID-19.
  • Edgewood Rehabilitation & Living Center in Farmington: 13 residents and six staff have tested positive, and one has died. 
  • Hope House in Bangor: 18 residents and four staff members have tested positive.
  • Springbrook Center in Westbrook: There is a total of 35 cases.
  • The Cedars in Portland: 11 residents and six staff members have tested positive, and one has died.
  • The Oxford shelter and associated facilities: There are cumulatively 14 cases.

The Augusta Center for Health and Rehabilitation—where 48 residents and 28 staff have tested positive, and seven have died—has now gone 15 days without a new case of COVID-19.

Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, spoke about Gov. Mills' announcement that Maine lodging businesses can start taking June 1 reservations for out-of-state visitors.

Read more about the announcement here: Maine lodging businesses can begin accepting out-of-state reservations

Johnson says the 14-day quarantine requirement for out-of-state travelers is essentially self-enforced and an honor system.

Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC is continuing to ramp up hiring, and the overall goal is to hire approximately 100 people, but that is neither a floor or a ceiling. 

12:30 p.m.

The Maine CDC announced three additional deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state death toll to 69.

The Maine CDC is reporting 1,565 COVID-19 cases in the state. 1,405 of which are confirmed by test and 160 of which are probable.

958 Mainers who have tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.

207 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. There are currently 37 Mainers hospitalized due to COVID-19, 18 of whom are being treated in intensive care and 7 of whom are on ventilators.

Credit: NCM

WEDNESDAY UPDATE

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 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. 

NEWS CENTER Maine YouTube Coronavirus Playlist

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