MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- As of Friday, Maine CDC announced 436 additional COVID-19, coronavirus cases with 5 additional deaths.
- 281 Mainers have died out of 18,337 total COVID-19 cases. 15,942 of these cases are confirmed by tests and 2,395 are probable.
- 965 Mainers have been hospitalized, 10,744 Mainers have recovered.
- Governor Janet Mills updates COVID-19 travel restrictions
- Coronavirus face coverings now mandated by the state
- 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
- 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.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
The Maine CDC reported five additional deaths of people with COVID-19. The state death toll stands at 281 deaths.
The Maine CDC reported 436 additional COVID-19 cases.
Of the 18,337 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 15,942 of these cases are confirmed by tests and 2,395 are probable. 10,744 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
965 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses.
The Maine CDC is scheduled to provide a state coronavirus update at 2 p.m. Friday. NEWS CENTER Maine will stream it live on air, as well as on our website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and mobile app.
- Vice President Pence, wife Karen, get COVID-19 vaccine injections
- Second COVID-19 vaccine by Moderna receives backing from key FDA panel
- Maine CDC: Do not call your local public safety departments to ask about COVID-19 vaccine
- Maine restaurants plan to celebrate New Year's Eve before midnight
- Can employers in Maine require COVID-19 vaccine for employees?
- Maine residents will get a card along with COVID-19 shot
- US experts debate: Who should be next in line for vaccine?
- COVID-19 vaccines: Answering frequently asked questions
- Pfizer says it has millions of vaccine doses in warehouses awaiting shipping instructions
- Winter travel raises more fears of viral spread
Friday Coronavirus Briefing
The Maine CDC reported five additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday. Three were men in their 70s from Kennebec County, another was a woman in her 80s from York County, and the other was a man in his 80s from Kennebec County.
Currently, 177 people are hospitalized in Maine with COVID-19, 46 of whom are in the ICU, and 15 are on a ventilator.
The Maine CDC has opened the following outbreak investigations:
- Biddeford Middle School
- Eastern Maine Medical Center
- Freightliner of Maine in Westbrook
- Mountain View Correctional facility
- Pine Point Center in Scarborough
- Woodland Pulp
- Maine Veterans' Home in Scarborough: Three cases
- Sacopee Valley Middle School in Hiram: Five cases
- Waynflete Upper School in Portland: Four cases
The Maine CDC has also re-opened outbreak investigations, all of which happen to be in school settings:
- Lewiston High School
- Lewiston Middle School
- Paris Elementary School
- York High School
Shah said despite the open and re-opening outbreaks at schools, thus far at this point in the school year the Maine CDC has thankfully seen very limited transmission within schools. Shah said thanks to the dedication by school staff and teachers in not just Maine, cases are connected to community levels of transmission rather than transmission in the schools themselves. That could change, however, Shah said, but he and the Maine CDC are on the lookout for that possibility.
"To be clear, that is not an accident," Shah said. "That is because of the hard work and dedication of teachers, staff members, students, and their families to keep schools open and to keep them safe."
The seven-day PCR test positivity rate stands at 4.43 percent. The seven-day antigen test positivity rate is 4.9 percent.
As of Thursday, there were a total of 2,264 Mainers who had received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. As per the Maine CDC approach, those were predominately frontline health care workers, whose part of their duties come into contact with COVID-19 at higher rates than others.
Starting on Monday, a program in collaboration with the U.S. CDC, retail pharmacies, and congregate care facilities themselves, will be starting off with the first vaccination events at nursing facilities across the states for individuals who work at or live in congregate care settings.
Regarding the Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be approved for emergency use authorization very soon, Shah said if all those required pieces fall into place soon, the vaccine could be arriving in Maine as soon as early next week.
Also, as of Friday, the Maine CDC has indicated to Operation Warp Speed that the state would like its second round of allotted Pfizer vaccine distributed, which Shah says again could happen as soon as early next week.
However, Shah says they were recently informed from Operation Warp Speed that Maine will be receiving less than initially projected, which unfortunately has happened to a number of other states as well.
Initially, the state of Maine was estimated to receive 13,650 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the second allocation. But that estimate had been significantly lowered to 8,775 doses.
RELATED: Maine's third shipment of COVID-19 vaccine will be about 40 percent lower than originally planned
Shah says that has sadly had implications for Maine. As a result of the reduction, the state had to opt not to activate another phase of the pharmacy partnership Shah discussed earlier, which would work with skilled nursing facilities to vaccine their staff and residents.
Part B of that program, which would begin the following week, would focus on other long term facilities. Because of the reduction in doses, the state physically does not have enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine to activate the second part of the partnership, which will now have to be put on hold.
The FDA has given the OK to use the extra amount of vaccine discovered in the vials to vaccinate more people. The overfill, which provides an extra 20 percent of vaccine, is a "splendid holiday gift," Shah said.
A common question he's heard in regards to the vaccine is "Are these vaccines being rushed?"
Shah says the development of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, for example, was undoubtedly accelerated. But that does not mean the development was rushed. They all went through the normal, rigorous processes and trials.
"No corners were cut," Shah said.
Shah also noted that while the vaccines are new, the underlying mRNA technology is not new. It's been scientifically developed, honed, and refined over three decades, Shah said.
This technology has been used and tested for other vaccines, such as for rabies, and zika virus.
He also explains that we should keep in mind that we develop other vaccines within a year, such as the flu shot. Year after year, "new" flu shots are developed that are different from the previous years.
Shah said, "Based on everything we know right now, these vaccines were definitely accelerated because of the pressing public health need posed by the pandemic. But in my view, they were not rushed, and no corners were cut. And that’s why, to this day, when my number is called, when my place in line is up for the vaccine—I will take it."
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17
The Maine CDC reported nine additional deaths of people with COVID-19. The state death toll stands at 276 deaths.
The additional deaths reported Thursday were:
- A man in his 60s from Aroostook County
- A woman in her 70s from Cumberland County
- A man in his 50s from Kennebec County
- A woman in her 70s from Oxford County
- A man in his 50s from Oxford County
- A woman in her 70s from Oxford County
- A woman in her 80s from Oxford County
- A man in his 80s from Oxford County
- A woman in her 70s from York County
For the second straight day, the Maine CDC reported a single-day record for new cases. 590 additional cases were reported Thursday.
Of the 17,901 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 15,576 are confirmed by tests and 2,325 are probable.
958 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses.
10,688 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
The Maine CDC's next state coronavirus update is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday.
- Can employers in Maine require COVID-19 vaccine for employees?
- Maine CDC: Do not call your local public safety departments to ask about COVID-19 vaccine
- Second COVID-19 vaccine by Moderna to receive FDA panel vote
- Close but not yet: Deal near on COVID-19 relief bill, second stimulus check
- Will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines?
- Reports: Extra coronavirus vaccine doses found in Pfizer vials
- Biden, Pence to receive coronavirus vaccine soon
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16
The Maine CDC reported two additional deaths of people with COVID-19. The state death toll stands at 267 deaths. The two additional deaths were a woman in her 80s from Androscoggin County and a man in his 80s from Oxford County.
The Maine CDC reported 551 additional COVID-19 cases, which is the most cases reported on a single day since the pandemic began. The previous single-day high for cases reported on a single day was 427.
Of the 17,311 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 15,142 are confirmed by tests and 2,169 are probable.
2,028 of Maine's total cases have been among healthcare workers.
934 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses. 187 people in Maine are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those 187, 46 are being treated in intensive care units and 18 are on ventilators.
10,650 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
New Outbreak Investigations
- Three cases at the Cut Loose Salon in Norway
- Six cases at Dirigo Elementary School in Peru
- Five cases at Falmouth Elementary School
- Three cases at Gilbert's Chowder House in Windham
- Seven cases at Bonny Eagle Middle School
- Five cases at Cozy Harbor Seafood in Portland
- Four cases at the Cumberland County Jail
- Three cases at Eye Care Maine
- Six cases at the Newport Town Office
- Six cases at the Songo Locks School in Naples
- Four cases at the Springbrook Center in Westbrook
- Maine CDC: Do not call your local public safety departments to ask about COVID-19 vaccine
- Can employers in Maine require COVID-19 vaccine for employees?
- Camden Snow Bowl cancels National Toboggan Championships for 2021
- First doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered to Maine frontline health care workers
- Negotiators report progress on long-delayed virus aid bill
- CDC to use text message tool to track COVID-19 vaccine side effects
- COVID-19 vaccines: Answering frequently asked questions
- 'We know it is safe:' Health experts urge public confidence in new vaccine
- US on track to approve 2nd COVID-19 vaccine by end of week
- 'Santa' and 'Mrs. Claus' may have exposed 50 kids to COVID-19 at Georgia event
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