MAINE, USA — EVERY NUMBER IS A LIFE: Celebrating the life of loved ones during the faceless anonymity of Maine coronavirus COVID-19 fatalities.
KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 70 Mainers have died out of 1,687 COVID-19 cases. 1,511 of these cases are confirmed by test and 176 are probable.
- 216 Mainers have been hospitalized, 1,028 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.
SUNDAY, MAY 17
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The Maine CDC announced no new deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, meaning the state death toll remains at 70.
Of the now 1,687 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maine, 1,511 are confirmed by test and 176 are probable (meaning someone who has been in close contact with a person who has tested positive).
216 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. There are currently 37 Mainers who are hospitalized due to COVID-19, 16 of whom are being treated in intensive care and 11 of whom are on ventilators.
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SATURDAY, MAY 16
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Maine CDC announced Saturday one additional Mainer has died with COVID-19. The new death reported today is a man in his 90s from Cumberland County.
- Total cases = 1,648
- Confirmed cases = 1,477
- Probable cases = 171
- Cumulative hospitalizations = 214
- Recovered = 1,012
- Deaths = 70
- Total currently hospitalized = 37
- In critical care = 19
- On a ventilator = 10
- Available critical care = 174
- Total critical care beds = 360
- Available ventilators = 250
- Total ventilators = 311
- Alternative ventilators = 426
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- City of Brewer creates program to grant PPE supplies to local businesses amid coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- The Red Barn owner concerned about summer business amid coronavirus pandemic
- Nursing homes can't seize stimulus checks for Medicare, FTC says
- JCPenney to file for bankruptcy, will close some stores
- Sen. King honors Maine's 2020 County Teachers of the Year
- 2020 Bangor State Fair canceled due to coronavirus, COVID-19
- Gov. Mills launches first meeting of 'Economic Recovery Committee'
- Internet access secured for nearly 22,000 Maine students
- VERIFY: Fact-checking this week's coronavirus claims
- Hannaford announces plans to hire 2,000 more employees throughout New England and New YorkCollege seniors struggle to find employment post-grad
- COVID-19 cases at Cianbro construction site in Augusta under investigation by Maine CDC
- Homemade hot lunch made with local ingredients by local businesses isn't just feeding students but a community
- Pride Portland! postpones June Pride Parade & Festival to August
- Augusta coffee shop, local businesses partner up to stay afloat during coronavirus, COVID-19
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.