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782 additional COVID-19 cases, 41 additional deaths reported in Maine Friday

Find developments on the Maine coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak as we work together to separate facts from fear. Friday, January 8, 2021.

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MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8

The Maine CDC reported 41 additional COVID-19-related deaths Friday, which is the most additional deaths reported on a single day since the pandemic began. However, this does not mean all these deaths occurred Thursday. See below for detailed information from the Friday coronavirus briefing.

The state death toll now stands at 426 deaths.

The previous high for additional deaths reported on a single day was 20 additional deaths reported on Dec. 1, 2020. Some entities that provide information required to confirm that deaths are COVID-related were not available because of the Thanksgiving holiday, which contributed to the tally of COVID-related deaths in that day’s update.

The Maine CDC reported 782 additional COVID-19 cases Friday.

Of the 28,407 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 23,803 are confirmed by tests and 4,604 are probable.

1,150 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses.

11,690 Mainers have completed COVID-19 isolation.

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

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah began Friday's briefing by addressing the 41 deaths reported today. 

"This number alone is a stark indicator of the toll COVID-19 is taking on all of us," Shah said, sharing his condolences. 

Shah says of those 41 individuals, six died within the past 48 hours; 35 died at some point during the month of December. He explained the Maine CDC reported those 35 additional deaths on Friday because of how the CDC's "multi-layered process" to validate data they receive works. 

Shah said after reviewing cases of death reports from vital records over the past few weeks, the Maine CDC identified these 35 individuals whose deaths had not been otherwise reported to the Maine CDC directly. But, upon investigation, were found to be COVID-related. 

"These deaths are all associated with COVID-19," Shah said. "They did not happen all within the past 48 hours, indeed 35 of the 41 occurred over the past several weeks. But that does not diminish their import one iota. They are all just as tragic."

The additional deaths reported since Thursday’s update are:

  1. A woman in her 80s from York County
  2. A woman in her 90s from Aroostook County
  3. A man in his 80s from Aroostook County
  4. A man in his 70s from Cumberland County
  5. A man in his 70s from Penobscot County
  6. A woman in her 70s from York County

Other additional deaths included in today’s cumulative count result from review of vital records. Deaths occurred between Dec. 2 and Dec. 28, 2020. They are:

  1. A woman in her 70s from Androscoggin County
  2. A woman in her 80s from Androscoggin County
  3. A man in his 90s from Androscoggin County
  4. A woman in her 80s from Aroostook County
  5. A woman in her 90s from Aroostook County
  6. A woman in her 90s from Aroostook County
  7. A man in his 50s from Aroostook County
  8. A man in his 70s from Aroostook County
  9. A man in his 80s from Aroostook County
  10. A man in his 70s from Cumberland County
  11. A man in his 70s from Franklin County
  12. A man in his 80s from Franklin County
  13. A woman in her 80s from Hancock County
  14. A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  15. A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  16. A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  17. A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  18. A man in his 90s from Hancock County
  19. A woman in her 60s from Kennebec County
  20. A woman in her 80s from Kennebec County
  21. A man in his 70s from Kennebec County
  22. A man in his 90s from Kennebec County
  23. A woman in her 80s from Oxford County
  24. A woman in her 80s from Oxford County
  25. A woman in her 90s from Oxford County
  26. A man in his 60s from Oxford County
  27. A man in his 70s from Oxford County
  28. A woman in her 90s from Penobscot County
  29. A man in his 80s from Penobscot County
  30. A man in his 70s from Washington County 
  31. A woman in her 70s from York County
  32. A woman in her 90s from York County
  33. A woman in her 90s from York County
  34. A woman in her 90s from York County
  35. A man in his 80s from York County

Currently, there are 205 people in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 56 are in the ICU, and 26 are on a ventilator. 

Notable outbreak investigations:

  • Howland Fire and Ambulance Division: Four cases. 
  • Portland Family Shelter

Shah says both of those outbreak investigations are in the early stages and he will have updates as they progress. 

The seven-day PCR test positivity rate is 6.06 percent with a testing volume of 510 tests for every 100,000 people.

The seven-day antigen test positivity rate is 8.5 percent with a testing volume of 117 tests for every 100,000 people. Shah notes a positivity rate of 8.5 percent may seem concerning, but there are reasons, however, to think that positivity rate is actually a reflection of proper usage. Shah says the scientific and public health community has learned that these antigen-based tests perform the best upon individuals who have symptoms already. When a person already has symptoms, the antigen tests seem to be better at picking up the disease, opposed to using them within individuals who have no symptoms. 

Shah said they are keeping an eye on this to see whether this increased positivity rate is a function of more appropriate and focused usage versus a function of more disease transmission. 

As of Friday, a total of 46,633 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered:

  • 43,362–first dose
  • 3,271–second dose

Among the total 46,633, approximately 2,250 are EMS clinicians who have received at least their first dose. 

Maine CDC and Maine DHHS have placed another order for doses of the vaccine for 17,175 doses. This order is for the fifth week of vaccine distribution, which begins on Jan. 11. 

RELATED: Maine CDC places order for fifth week of COVID-19 vaccines

Maine CDC's order, expected to arrive early next week, will comprise 8,775 doses from Pfizer and 8,400 doses from Moderna for the fifth week of distribution. The total is only 100 more doses than last week’s allocation. Shah says they were hoping for increases in volume, but it appears the volume they receive will be flat. 

In the fifth week of distribution, shipments of 17,175 doses of vaccine will be sent to hospitals (7,700), outpatient groups (1,500), emergency medical services (400), the retail pharmacy long-term care program (4,875), organizations helping to vaccine people in long-term care facilities not in the retail pharmacy program (2,500), and home health and hospice agencies (200).

Shah says this puts the state squarely still within phase 1A, which comprises roughly 130,000 people. By the end of next week, we will still have received vaccine sufficient only for roughly 75 percent of that entire group. 

Shah says, however, "we are making strides."

On Thursday and the day before, over 4,200 vaccinations were reported to Maine CDC–a pace Shah says they hope will not just continue, but continue to increase. 

Shah makes clear that like much with COVID-19, these snapshots are moving targets. The trends are what matters. "And here, the trends are encouraging," Shah said. 

"Earlier this week on Jan. 4 and 5," Shah explains, "there were roughly 2,100-2,500 doses per day that were being reported to us as administered. And now in the recent 48 hours, that number has continued to increase. The slope of that line is going up, and for the first time in a long time in this pandemic, we're in a situation where an upward sloping trend line on a chart is finally a good thing."

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7

The Maine CDC reported 13 additional deaths of people with COVID-19. The state death toll stands at 385 deaths.

The additional deaths reported Thursday are:

  • A man in his 80s from Aroostook County
  • A man in his 40s from Aroostook County
  • A woman in her 60s from Cumberland County
  • A man in his 60s from Hancock County
  • A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  • A woman in her 90s from Hancock County
  • A woman in her 70s from Kennebec County
  • A man in his 60s from Oxford County
  • A woman in her 80s from Oxford County
  • A man in his 80s from York County
  • A woman in her 90s from York County
  • A man in his 70s from York County
  • A man older than 80 from York County

The Maine CDC reported 535 additional COVID-19 cases.

Of the 27,625 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 23,193 are confirmed by tests and 4,432 are probable. 

1,135 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses. Currently, 202 are hospitalized, 55 of whom are in the ICU, and 25 of whom are on a ventilator.

11,658 Mainers have completed COVID-19 isolation.

As of Thursday, there have been 42,317 cumulative vaccinations in Maine.

Credit: NCM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6

The Maine CDC reported three additional deaths of people with COVID-19. The state death toll stands at 372 deaths.

The Maine CDC reported 525 additional COVID-19 cases.

Of the 27,090 total COVID-19 cases in Maine, 22,794 are confirmed by tests and 4,296 are probable. 

1,124 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illnesses.

  • Total currently hospitalized = 191
  • In critical care = 54
  • On a ventilator = 21
  • Available critical care beds = 88
  • Total critical care beds = 387
  • Available ventilators = 218
  • Total ventilators = 318
  • Alternative ventilators = 443

11,607 Mainers have completed COVID-19 isolation. 

As of Wednesday morning, 38,065 people in Maine have received doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said that number will continue to go up as vaccinations continue across the state.

New outbreak investigations by Maine CDC:

Credit: NCM

SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY UPDATES

COVID-19 RESOURCES

NEWS CENTER Maine CORONAVIRUS STORY PLAYLIST

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