MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- 57 Mainers have died out of 1,205 confirmed COVID-19 cases
- Sunday saw 33 new cases alone
- There are 428 current total cases of COVID-19
- 186 Mainers have been hospitalized, 720 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
- 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.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
MONDAY, MAY 4
4:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah provides the daily coronavirus update.
Of the new 20 confirmed cases, none are associated with the current outbreaks.
The 1,205 confirmed cases break down: 1,136 confirmed cases (cumulative) and 69 probable cases. There are 428 current total cases of COVID-19.
Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC reached a milestone today. Since the coronavirus reached Maine, they have no fielded 6,000 consultations for COVID-19.
FEMA is pushing out 14-day supplies of PPE to each of the 93 licensed long-term care facilities across the state. They will be efforting those shipments in two phases.
Dr. Shah addressed the notion of antibody testing, which is a way to look for the presence, or absence, of proteins our bodies produce to fight infections. Antibody testing is not a way to look for an active infection, Dr. Shah explained. Rather, it's like looking at footprints on a beach, Dr. Shah said. Perhaps someone walked by, but you're not sure when or who or whether they are coming back or not.
Dr. Shah said there's still a lot of questions surrounding antibody testing. He says there's a lot of research going on about antibody testing and how good or reliable certain tests actually are. Dr. Shah said as the science behind antibody testing evolves, he will do his best to keep everyone updated on that front.
Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC is still investigating the death of a Waldo County firefighter, whose death is believed to be COVID-19 related. Dr. 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.
As of a few days ago, there were roughly 2,900 people 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.
12 p.m.
The Maine CDC announced on its website there are now 1,205 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state.
Of those 1,205 cases, 720 Mainers have recovered and 57 have died.
186 Mainers who have tested positive have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Currently, there are 37 COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized in Maine, 18 of whom are in intensive care, and 11 of whom are on ventilators.
Dr. Nirav Shah, Director of the Maine CDC, is scheduled to 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.
11:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
10 a.m.
- 9 Maine Ag Fairs postponed to 2021 amid coronavirus concerns
- CDC director says coronavirus quarantine on way out of states, still need to protect Mainers
- China hid coronavirus' severity to hoard supplies, DHS report says
- President Trump taking public's pandemic questions at Lincoln Memorial
- Maine salons prepare to reopen amid coronavirus pandemic
- Trump to take questions as US coronavirus death toll over 67,000
- Winthrop food pantry helps hundreds of people in need during the COVID-19 crisis
- Republican leaders ask for legislative session to end Maine Governor Janet Mills’ coronavirus emergency authority
- Hundreds protest in Augusta against Gov. Mills' coronavirus restrictions
- 'Frightened to death': Maine business owners swarm Augusta Saturday to protest Governor Janet Mills' coronavirus restrictions
- More Maine restaurants plan to defy Governor Janet Mills’ coronavirus restrictions and reopen
- Dept. of Labor processes over 3,000 applications on first day of new unemployment program
- Maine businesses finding ways to adapt to Governor Janet Mills' new coronavirus restrictions
- Maine man credits Remdesivir drug with saving his life during COVID-19 fight
- University of Maine at Farmington senior finishes student teaching virtually during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Republicans and some business owners try to pressure Gov. Mills to change plan
- Maine Governor Janet Mills' administration revokes Sunday River Brewing Co. license; owner closes restaurant
SATURDAY'S AUGUSTA PROTEST
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.