BLUE HILL, Maine — Dr. James Jarvis with the group leading the COVID-19 response at Northern Light Health in Bangor held another virtual news conference on Wednesday.
He confirmed one inpatient at the Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Jarvis said, "We were informed today that Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital had their first positive inpatient case of COVID-19. I will not go in to any details about the particular individual for their concern and privacy but I will say that the staff are doing the things that are appropriate in the management of the individual and in taking care of themselves and remaining safe."
Dr. Jarvis, who is the medical specialist for Northern Light Health’s incident command, declined to give any other information about the patient due to privacy. He also said staff is taking the appropriate precautions in light of the findings.
There are now 344 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maine. With a case now in Hancock County, there is now at least one confirmed case in 13 of Maine's 16 counties. Seven people in Maine who have tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
Maine CDC will begin distributing its third shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile on Friday. Maine CDC is working on where to distribute the new PPE across Maine's health care system so as to maximize the benefit to the state as a whole.
On Tuesday Gov. Janet Mills announced a series of new mandates to protect public health and safety in the face of COVID-19, including a "Stay Healthy at Home" directive that requires people living in Maine to stay at home at all times unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, such as obtaining food, medicine, health care, or other necessary purposes.
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