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Real-time Maine Coronavirus update: Governor Mills extends 'Stay Safer at Home' order to May 31

Read the full Governor Mills plan to reopen Maine's economy by summer as the coronavirus, COVID-19 numbers slowly decline

MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS

LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

TUESDAY APRIL 28

3 p.m. Governor Mills announces "Stay Safer at Home" extension

Governor Janet Mills announced she will extend Maine’s stay-at-home order in the form of a new “Stay Safer at Home” Executive Order that will extend through May 31.

The new order, which the governor said she will issue by Thursday, will continue to have Maine people stay at home with limited exceptions for already permitted activities, such as grocery shopping or exercising. However, the new "Stay Safer at Home" order will also allow Maine people to visit businesses or participate in activities that are deemed safe to open under Stage 1 of the reopening plan.

According to Mills, progression through the stages of her administration's four-stage plan will occur month-by-month, depending on the success of previous stages. For example, Stage 1 will begin on May 1, if there are no new trends that change the plan. Stage 2 will begin in June, and Stage 3 will begin in July and continue through August. Stage 4, which lifts the most restrictions, will start at a point to be determined in the future. 

According to Mills, a month-by-month breakdown of the stages allows for sufficient time to assess the effectiveness of the health and safety precautions adopted and evaluate the potential need to adjust course.

More on Gov. Mills' 4-stage plan to restart Maine's economy HERE.

Dr. Nirav Shah, Director of the Maine CDC, said they are focusing on three criteria as the state looks toward reopening :

  • Reduction of COVID-19 symptoms
  • Decrease in COVID-19 cases
  • Healthy system preparedness

12:30 p.m.

11:45 a.m.

The Maine CDC announced no additional deaths on Tuesday. The state's COVID-19 death total remains at 51.

Of the 1,040 confirmed cases in Maine, 585 Mainers have recovered. 245 of the 1,040 confirmed cases are health care workers.

33 Mainers are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19. Of those 33, 17 are in critical care and 7 are on ventilators.

163 people in Maine have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness.

Governor Janet Mills is expected to announce her plan to reopen Maine's economy on Tuesday. The update is scheduled for 3 p.m. Gov. Mills will join Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew, and Dept. of Economic Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson at the briefing. We will be broadcasting it live on-air, as well as streaming it on our website, mobile app, YouTube channel, Facebook, and Twitter.

Credit: NCM

8 a.m.

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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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