MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- As of Friday, 98 Mainers have died out of 2,482 COVID-19 cases. 2,181 of these cases are confirmed by test and 265 are probable.
- 293 Mainers have been hospitalized, 1,797 Mainers have recovered.
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 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.
FRIDAY UPDATES
The Maine CDC reported three additional deaths of Mainers who tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state death total to 98.
Of the 2,482 COVID-19 cases in Maine, 2,181 are confirmed by test and 265 are probable. The Maine CDC said they will update the confirmed/probable case number some time Friday afternoon.
1,797 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
293 Mainers have been hospitalized due to COVID-19
THERE WILL BE NO PRESS BRIEFING ON FRIDAY. The briefings will resume Monday, according to the Maine CDC.
THURSDAY UDPATES
The Maine CDC reported 0 additional deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, meaning the state death total remains at 95.
Of the 2,446 COVID-19 cases in Maine, 2,181 are confirmed by test and 265 are probable (meaning someone who has not tested positive but has been in close contact with someone who has).
1,739 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
291 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. 35 Mainers are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 14 being treated in intensive care units and 7 on ventilators.
Governor Janet Mills' administration announced Thursday additional business reopenings under the Governor’s rural reopening plan.
Under the update, in 13 counties, tasting rooms and bars may open for outside service and gyms, fitness centers, nail salons, and tattoo and piercing parlors may open with added health and safety precautions beginning on Friday, June 12. These establishments may reopen in all counties except for York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin Counties.
This update accelerates the reopening of bars and tasting rooms for outside service, as well as the reopening of tattoo and piercing parlors, all which were originally scheduled to reopen statewide as part of Stage 3 (July 1). It also allows gyms, fitness centers, and nail salons to resume operations in these 13 counties.
- Maine Dept. of Labor asks for claimants to verify identity after canceling thousands more suspected fraudulent unemployment claims
- Citing data trends, Gov. Mills' administration accelerates business openings in rural Maine counties
- Virtual Concerts You Won't Want To Miss
- Ogunquit beaches open - fireworks canceled
- Gov. Mills and MaineHousing extend COVID-19 Rent Relief Program to cover month of June
- WATCH LIVE: Labor and Housing Committee provides update on Maine unemployment, housing situations
- 2020 Moxie Festival in Lisbon canceled due to coronavirus, COVID-19
- Maine libraries start curbside pickup service amid coronavirus, COVID-19
- Inmate sues Mills over seized unemployment benefits
- Mills Administration says plan to rollback quarantine would encourage tourists to visit Maine
- Retail stores are open but are customers venturing out?
- Keep ME Open: Deep sea fishing business hopes to reel in Mainers to salvage summer season
- A sea of pink: A South Portland High School mystery
- As Maine's competitive golf season arrives, courses are seeing a growing interest in the sport
- Historic gravestones tell the stories of pandemics past
- Behind each statistic is a story: Dr. Nirav Shah shares story of Maine woman who died in her 100s
- Maine CDC now releasing COVID-19 data by zip code
- Retail stores are open but are customers venturing out?
- Hydroxychloroquine no better than placebo to prevent COVID-19, rigorous study finds
- Movie theater chain AMC warns it may not survive the pandemic
- Behind each statistic is a story: Dr. Nirav Shah shares story of Maine woman who died in her 100s
- Zoom booms as COVID-19 pandemic drives millions to its video service
- Mills' new 'COVID passport' plan could help out-of-staters avoid 14-day quarantine
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.