MAINE, USA — EVERY NUMBER IS A LIFE: Celebrating the life of loved ones during the faceless anonymity of Maine coronavirus COVID fatalities.
KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 69 Mainers have died out of 1,565 COVID-19 cases. 1,405 of these cases are confirmed by test and 160 are probable.
- 207 Mainers have been hospitalized, 958 Mainers have recovered. The trend remains more recoveries and fewer hospitalizations.
- Governor Janet Mills has extended Maine's statewide stay-safer-at-home order to May 31
- Gov. Mills extended the state of emergency proclamation to June 11.
- Read Maine Governor Janet Mills' detailed plan to reopen Maine economy during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Read Maine Phase 1 COVID-19 Prevention Checklist to help business reopen with reduced coronavirus restrictions
- A timeline of the coronavirus pandemic in Maine
- Filing for unemployment still dominating discussions around Maine. Here's our story on how to file for Maine unemployment. You can scroll down for more resources available to Mainers
- Local businesses are the backbones of our communities. NEWS CENTER Maine cares about our state and asks that you support your local business and restaurants right now. If you are a business owner, please register your business. If you want to support a local business, enter your zip code and find out what’s OPEN NEAR YOU.
- Subscribe to 'break time with NEWS CENTER Maine' our new newsletter. Delivered to your email inbox for your break time.
THURSDAY MAY 14
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah will provide an update at 2 p.m. NEWS CENTER Maine will stream it live on air, as well as on our website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and mobile app.
2 p.m.
Dr. Shah reports that the three additional people who died with COVID-19 were:
- Man in his 60s from Penobscot County
- Woman in her 90s from Cumberland County
- Man in his 80s from Cumberland County
Dr. Shah gives an update on some of the current outbreak across the state:
- Falmouth by the Sea: there are 66 cases of COVID-19.
- Edgewood Rehabilitation & Living Center in Farmington: 13 residents and six staff have tested positive, and one has died.
- Hope House in Bangor: 18 residents and four staff members have tested positive.
- Springbrook Center in Westbrook: There is a total of 35 cases.
- The Cedars in Portland: 11 residents and six staff members have tested positive, and one has died.
- The Oxford shelter and associated facilities: There are cumulatively 14 cases.
The Augusta Center for Health and Rehabilitation—where 48 residents and 28 staff have tested positive, and seven have died—has now gone 15 days without a new case of COVID-19.
Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, spoke about Gov. Mills' announcement that Maine lodging businesses can start taking June 1 reservations for out-of-state visitors.
Read more about the announcement here: Maine lodging businesses can begin accepting out-of-state reservations
Johnson says the 14-day quarantine requirement for out-of-state travelers is essentially self-enforced and an honor system.
Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC is continuing to ramp up hiring, and the overall goal is to hire approximately 100 people, but that is neither a floor or a ceiling.
12:30 p.m.
The Maine CDC announced three additional deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state death toll to 69.
The Maine CDC is reporting 1,565 COVID-19 cases in the state. 1,405 of which are confirmed by test and 160 of which are probable.
958 Mainers who have tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.
207 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. There are currently 37 Mainers hospitalized due to COVID-19, 18 of whom are being treated in intensive care and 7 of whom are on ventilators.
- Maine vacation destinations offer pay-what-you-can staycations for Mainers amid coronavirus, COVID-19
- Tyson cuts some beef prices as coronavirus spikes grocery store costs
- Total layoffs rise to 36 million since coronavirus hit
- Maine union workers ask congressional leaders to prioritize state, local funding in HEROES Act
- Military family in Gorham says goodbye to Maine with parade during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Maine summer camps face uncertainty during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Trump says $3T coronavirus aid 'DOA,' Pelosi says Americans 'worth it'
- Face mask rules are growing but enforcement proves to be a challenge
- Trump signals disagreement with Fauci on reopening schools
- 'It's millions of dollars sitting there' | Maine potato industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic
- A cruise ship that had at least one passenger test positive for COVID-19 may be coming to Eastport
- GOP AGs tell Trump to hold China accountable for coronavirus damage
- Road to recovery: Mainers share personal stories of coronavirus, COVID-19 diagnosis
- New partnership supports Maine dairy farmers and helps hungry Mainers
- The pandemic through the lens of a Maine camera
- US meat exports surge, but industry struggles to satisfy demand
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens featured on USPS 'American Gardens' Forever stamp
- Portland proposes plan for open-air market
- FBI, Homeland Security warn Chinese hackers likely targeting coronavirus researchers
- Disney parks in US will 'likely' require face masks when they reopen, CEO says
- Stimulus checks: IRS sets Wednesday deadline for direct deposit info
- Get ready! SSI recipients get stimulus payment May 13
- Sick seal pup rescued in Scarborough quickly sees improvement during treatment
- Cape Elizabeth woman makes masks for town's police officers
THE DATA
Dr. Nirav Shah made clear that when the Maine CDC reports deaths, they are reporting that someone has died who had been confirmed positive with COVID-19, not the cause of death specifically. The cause of death determination is left to the medical examiner.
According to Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, as of a few days ago, there were roughly 2,900 Mainers tested each week. This includes people tested through the state lab in Augusta, as well as large commercial testing companies like LabCorp. Dr. Shah said right now, the positivity rate is over 5%, meaning for every 100 people tested, about 5 or 6 are positive. Compared to other states, whose positivity rates are 10 or 15%, Maine is doing better, Dr. Shah says. He says he'd like to see Maine's positivity rate around 2%, which is what South Korea's is. To do that, Dr. Shah says testing must increase two or three-fold.
RESOURCES
- Maine food resources and retail adjustments
- How to file for Maine unemployment
- Will you get a stimulus check if you receive Social Security or disability, or didn’t file a tax return?
- Stimulus check calculator: See how much you'll likely be getting
- Millions of Americans will soon get stimulus checks. But here's who won't.
- Maine small businesses can apply for 'forgivable loans'
- Maine school and business closings
- What shelter-in-place, stay-at-home orders mean
- What Homeland Security deems 'essential businesses'
MAINE CDC BRIEFINGS
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) announced on Tuesday, March 10 that they would be holding daily coronavirus briefings with director Dr. Nirav Shah to keep the public up to date on the situation in Maine.