AUGUSTA, Maine — In a tangible sign that Maine is rounding the corner on the coronavirus pandemic, the Maine CDC on Monday reported the lowest daily COVID-19 cases in nearly eight months, with 30 additional cases.
The last time fewer than 30 cases were reported on a single day was October 18, 2020.
Daily cases have been steadily decreasing in recent weeks. Over the past nine days, eight saw daily cases below 100.
The downward trend is notable not only in Maine but across the U.S. As of June 5, the seven-day moving average of daily cases across the county was 12,780, compared to an all-time high of 249,012 on Jan. 8, 2021.
Maine is also continuing to lead the nation in vaccinations, trailing only Vermont (66.2 percent) and Massachusetts (64 percent) for the percentage of those 12 and older who are fully vaccinated. In Maine, 63.3 percent of people age 12 or older have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the U.S. CDC.
"The relatively low COVID-19 case counts in recent days likely reflect the fact that an increasing percentage of the state’s population is fully vaccinated," Maine CDC spokesman Robert Long said in a statement to NEWS CENTER Maine on Monday. "As [Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav] Shah has noted, with each person who gets vaccinated, a potential line of virus transmission is cut off. We thank all Maine people who have taken this important step to protect their health and the health of their communities, and urge all those who haven’t yet been vaccinated to make an appointment or drop by a clinic for a free vaccine."
