MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Ten Mainers have died out of 499 confirmed COVID-19 cases
- 92 Mainers have been hospitalized
- 158 Mainers have recovered
- Maine has discontinued counting negative tests due to number of outside labs doing testing.
- Governor Janet Mills has issued a 'Stay Safe at Home' order. She has also ordered all out-of-staters coming to Maine to quarantine for 14 days.
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LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
MONDAY, APRIL 6
6 p.m.
A member of the Maine State Police has tested positive for COVID-19, police say. Maine State Police spokesperson Steve McCausland said the member's duty included work at the Maine Turnpike Weigh Station in York, along the northbound lanes.
Upon receiving notice Saturday morning, the weigh station was immediately closed and has undergone a thorough cleaning by experts in the mitigation of COVID-19 and was expected to reopen by the end of Monday.
4 p.m.
A civilian employee of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery died Sunday due to complications associated with COVID-19, the U.S. Navy announced Monday. There are 617 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Navy among active military, civilian, dependent, and contractors.
11:00 a.m.
Maine CDC announced there are 499 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. 10 people in Maine who have tested positive have died.
92 people in Maine have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. 158 have fully recovered from the virus, which means they are viewed as if they never had the virus at all and can return to their normal lives (albeit within the current confines presented by the coronavirus).
There is at least one case in 15 of Maine's 16 counties. Community transmission has been identified in Cumberland County and York County.
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said Maine CDC's distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) will focus on congregate settings, such as assisted living facilities, as well as continuing to make sure health care workers are well equipped.
Maine CDC is currently working on plans for a module for alternative care in southern, eastern, western, and northern Maine. Dr. Shah said more information about this process, planning, and roll out will be available on Tuesday.
There are nearly 130 available and ready-to-serve respiratory therapists in Maine.
"This is one of those situations where being courageous is not the same thing as being oblivious to risk. This is a situation where courage entails recognizing the risk and, knowing full well that that risk exists, continuing to charge onto the front lines because they know that that is the right thing to do," Dr. Shah said. "And so on behalf of all of us across the state of Maine, to every single health care worker who is on the front line working on COVID-19, I want to tell you that we recognize the risk you are taking and we commend your courage. Thank you for doing everything that you are doing. There are simply not enough spotlights in the state of Maine to shine a light on each and every one of those people on the front lines. But each of them in every corner of the state is doing heroic work and I ask all of us to take a look around. Take a look in our neighborhoods, in our families, in our communities, and take a second to thank each and every one of those health care workers for the risk that they're taking and the courage they're displaying right now."
When asked about the effectiveness of cloth face masks, Dr. Shah said they are designed to protect others from you. They're designed to minimize the chance that someone who has the virus but has not experienced symptoms does not pass it on to someone else. He stressed that these masks are not in place of physical distancing requirements, they are in addition to physical distancing guidelines. Dr. Shah views them as an additional layer of protection.
4 a.m.
- New Maine unemployment call-in process begins Monday morning. You can find all our unemployment information and links in this story.
- Maine DHHS announced they are closing the Rockland office on Monday to sterilize and clean after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, coronavirus.
- Bath Iron Works to require Maine workers to wear face masks amid the coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak
- New Hampshire cases continue to rise higher than Maine cases.
- Maine seafood industry struggles to adjust to a coronavirus, COVID-19 economy
- The Bangor Farmers' Market is back outdoors for coronavirus, COVID-19 precautions
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
- 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'
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.