PORTLAND, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills tested positive on Thursday for COVID, according to a news release from the governor's office.
The governor reported developing a "mild scratchy throat," which prompted her to take the test, but the release stated she had not reported any other symptoms.
Mills is fully vaccinated and received two booster shots, with the most recent one being administered on April 8, 2022, according to the release.
The governor is isolating and will be following Maine and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the release states. And her doctor has prescribed the antiviral Paxlovid to help prevent severe symptoms.
"This is a good reminder that even though we may want to be done with COVID, it's not necessarily done with us," Mills said in the release. "I am grateful for the strong protection that the vaccine has provided me, which I believe is one of the reasons why I am still feeling well."
Mills also took the opportunity in the release to encourage everyone eligible to get the COVID vaccine and recommended boosters if they have not done so already.
According to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson Robert Long, the most recent data from April 27 showed that the in-state death toll stands at 2,282, with 526 new cases reported in the state.
As of Wednesday, 136 people were hospitalized with COVID. Of those, 29 patients were in critical care, and 11 were on ventilators.
This week, the Biden administration took steps to expand the availability of Paxlovid, the antiviral drug that Mills' doctor prescribed. The medication is produced by Pfizer and was first approved in December.