MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 73 Mainers have died out of 1,877 COVID-19 cases. 1,678 of these cases are confirmed by test and 199 are probable.
- 235 Mainers have been hospitalized, 1,145 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.
THURSDAY MAY 21
2 p.m.
The Maine CDC announced no additional deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, meaning the state death total remains at 73.
Of the now 1,877 COVID-19 cases in Maine, 1,678 are confirmed by test and 199 are probable (meaning someone who has not tested positive but has been in close contact with someone who has).
1,145 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
235 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. 41 Mainers are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, 21 of whom are being treated in intensive care and 12 of whom are on ventilators.
The number of cases at Seal Rock long-term care facility remains at 3 and the number of cases at Woodford Family Services in South Portland also remains at 3.
There are no new cases in connection with Bristol Seafood in Portland.
There are now a total of 26 cases in connection with a Cianbro Construction site in Augusta. 11 of those cases are among Maine residents, eight are among Rhode Island residents, one is a North Carolina resident, another is a Wisconsin resident, and five are New Hampshire residents. Maine CDC continues to investigate that outbreak.
About 200 people at the 100 State Street apartments were tested on Wednesday and the results are pending.
There are 21 cases at Clover Healthcare in Auburn. At the Springbrook Center, there are a total of 42 cases.
Since identifying one positive case in an inmate at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, the Maine Dept. of Corrections and the Maine CDC have tested about 750 individuals associated with Maine's prisons. So far, 163 (64 staff, 99 inmates) results have come back and all of them have been negative.
The Maine CDC received eight cases of remdesivir Wednesday night. That's enough for 40 doses. The next shipment likely will not arrive until early June.
- "We're planning to play." UMaine athletics is trying to prepare for a season that may never happen.
- Oxford Hills High School principals go the extra mile for graduating seniors
- CDC releases new guidelines for reopening schools, restaurants
- About $425 million in unemployment benefits has been paid out to Mainers since March 15
- Nearly 39 million have filed for unemployment since virus hit
- President Trump to tour Ford's repurposed ventilator assembly plant near Detroit
- Program to help Maine's small businesses relaunch and recover from coronavirus pandemic begins
- Drugmaker to make coronavirus vaccine in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Bill would give $4,000 tax credit to retrain workers who lost jobs in pandemic
- Bed and breakfast dream crushed by coronavirus, COVID-19
- CDC says coronavirus 'does not spread easily' on surfaces, objects
- Most coronavirus cases reported in single day as total approaches 5 million
- Nearly $200,000 in unemployment benefits paid out to 53 inmates
- Guidelines for camping in Maine Memorial Day Weekend amid coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Costco eases restrictions on number of customers that can enter
- Can you ask to get your stimulus check on a debit card?
- The Maine Red Claws, TD Bank continue to ‘Fuel the Frontline’ in Portland
- After caring for her sick grandfather, this Bangor nurse knew she'd found her calling
- Residents of Portland apartment building to be tested Wednesday following coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak
- Sunday River Brewing Company says it got licenses back, plans to start serving alcohol Wednesday
- Maine DOC confirms positive COVID-19 case in prisoner
- 17 employees, 4 residents test positive for COVID-19 at senior living facility in Auburn
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.