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5 additional deaths, 436 additional COVID-19 cases reported in Maine Friday

Find developments on the Maine coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak as we work together to separate facts from fear. Friday, December 18, 2020.

MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS

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.

Credit: NCM

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. 

RELATED: Reports: Extra coronavirus vaccine doses found in Pfizer vials

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.

Credit: NCM

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

Credit: NCM

MONDAY AND TUESDAY UPDATES

THE DATA

RESOURCES

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

NEWS CENTER Maine YouTube COVID-19 Playlist

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