MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 73 Mainers have died out of 1,819 COVID-19 cases. 1,632 of these cases are confirmed by test and 187 are probable.
- 231 Mainers have been hospitalized, 1,110 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.
WEDNESDAY MAY 20
2 p.m.
The Maine CDC announced no new deaths of people who tested positive for COVID-19, which means the state death total remains at 73.
Of the now 1,819 COVID-19 cases (an increase of 78 compared to Tuesday), 1,632 are confirmed by test and 187 are probable (meaning someone who has not officially tested positive but has been on close contact with someone who has).
The 78 new cases announced Wednesday is the highest single-day increase since testing began. However, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah noted that with increased testing, the Maine CDC anticipates an increased number of positive tests.
1,110 Mainers have recovered from COVID-19.
231 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point during their COVID-19 illness. 43 Mainers are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, 24 of whom are being treated in intensive care and 12 of whom are on ventilators.
Dr. Shah said there are a total of five cases at the Blue Star Homecare facility in Biddeford.
At Bristol Seafood in Portland there are now a total of 15 cases.
At Cianbro Construction there are now a total of 23 cases, stemming from a work site in Augusta.
There are now 22 people associated with the Clover Healthcare senior living facility in Auburn who have tested positive.
At Durgin Pines in Kittery, there are now a combined 5 cases between residents and staff.
Dr. Shah said the main challenge with congregate living facilities is those people who have the virus but have not developed symptoms, making it difficult to identify that they actually have it.
Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randy Liberty said the Maine DOC tested about 64 staff and 123 inmates after an inmate tested positive at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. Liberty said he expects to receive some of those test results Wednesday afternoon and more in the subsequent days.
Liberty said there is no current plan for universal testing in all of Maine's prisons.
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- Secretary of State recommends absentee voting in July 14 Primary amid coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- RecoveryCorps, MDI Hospital partner for call service to help feeling isolated during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- US extends heightened border enforcement during coronavirus
- Longtime Portland DJ out of a job due to coronavirus, COVID-19 concerns
- Mills revises reopening plan ahead of Memorial Day weekend
- Maine DOC confirms positive COVID-19 case in prisoner
- Portland small business owners urge Gov. Mills to slow reopening, keep 14-day quarantine in place
- Funding approved for Portland emergency business assistance programs
- When times get tough, stick together
- Seniors cut a rug during parking lot line dancing in Bath
- President Trump remarks on assistance for farmers, food supply chain
- Belmont Stakes set for June 20 without fans, leads off Triple Crown
- Portland City Council approves street closures for Old Port open-air market, provides reopening timeline amid COVID-19
- US and Canada extend border shutdown to June 21
- University of Southern Maine to host free webinar series on COVID-19 featuring Dr. Nirav Shah, Dr. Dora Mills
- Revenue losses during coronavirus pandemic leaves future Maine road projects in jeopardy
- Walmart becomes a lifeline and online sales surge 74%
- Fox News host urges viewers to not take hydroxychloroquine like Trump
- Staple Bangor bakery celebrates 75 years amidst coronavirus pandemic
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.