MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- 35 Mainers have died out of 875 confirmed COVID-19 cases
- 138 Mainers have been hospitalized, 414 Mainers have recovered
- Governor Janet Mills orders National Guard and MEMA to help open alternative coronavirus care sites in Portland and Bangor
- Governor Janet Mills has extended Maine's 'civil state of emergency'. She has also issued a 'Stay Safe at Home' order and ordered all out-of-staters coming to Maine to quarantine for 14 days.
- 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 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.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
MONDAY APRIL 20
5:30 p.m.
- Portland City Council members, along with Mayor Kate Snyder discussed business practices in the city with regards to 'non-essential" businesses. NEWS CENTER Maine's Hannah Dineen will have the full story shortly. Here is the full meeting below
4 p.m.
Maine CDC 2 p.m. Update
The Maine CDC announced there are now 875 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. 414 people in Maine have fully recovered from the virus.
Dr. Nirav Shah, Director of the Maine CDC, announced one new death Monday, bringing the state total to 35. The new death was a woman in her 70s from Waldo County.
212 of the 875 confirmed cases are health care workers.
There have been three deaths in individuals associated with the Augusta Center for Health and Rehabilitation and eight deaths at the Tall Pines facility in Belfast. Dr. Shah said long term care facilities are still Maine CDC's priority, with outbreaks at a number of them across the state.
There are currently 16 people in Maine who are being treated in intensive care units. There are 23 people who are being treated in hospitals but not in intensive care units. 9 people in Maine are on ventilators due to COVID-19.
Dr. Shah said he is concerned about the spread of the virus in rural parts of Maine, citing spiked numbers in rural states such as Iowa and North Dakota.
Maine CDC's current approximate personal protective equipment (PPE) inventory:
- 199,000 N95 masks
- 126,000 surgical masks
- 4,000 face shields
- 19,000 gloves
- 3,000 disposable protective suits
- 7,400 surgical gowns
Maine CDC also announced that Piscataquis County now has one confirmed case, which means there is now at least one confirmed case in every Maine county.
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10 a.m.
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- 867 Mainers have tested positive for COVID-19, 34 have died
- Millions of stimulus checks will go out by mail Monday
- Trump says he'll act to increase swab production for coronavirus testing
- "I think it's doable by then," Maine's golf courses hoping to be open by May 1st after coronavirus pandemic
- Oxford restaurant giving out free meals during coronavirus crisis
- Maine fisherman dealing with lower eel prices during the coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Neighbors helping neighbors in Lake Region during coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak
- Four people at Portland retirement community tested positive for COVID-19
- Mainers having trouble getting vacation rental refunds due to COVID-19 coronavirus
- For a Maine puzzle maker, staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic is a perfect fit
TAKE A MOMENT FOR 'A BREATH OF FRESH AIR'
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.