MAINE, USA — KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- As of Friday, 103 Mainers have died out of 3,102 COVID-19 total cases. 2,758 of these cases are confirmed by test and 344 are probable.
- 343 Mainers have been hospitalized, 2,542 Mainers have recovered.
- Stage 3 begins on July 1, here are the Stage 3 reopening checklists for businesses
- Maine is open for business, here's what you need to know
- Read about all the important coronavirus-related orders currently in place in Maine
- Maine reopening plan accelerated, indoor dining now allowed in all 16 counties
- Going out? CDC shares tips to stay safe amid coronavirus pandemic
- Gov. Mills' administration releases guidance for town meetings and elections during COVID-19 pandemic
- Phase 2 of Maine's reopening plan begins, as businesses can still deny service to those without face coverings
- Governor Janet Mills' statewide stay-safer-at-home order remains in effect but with eased restrictions
- Read Maine Governor Janet Mills' detailed plan to reopen Maine economy during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- 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.
FRIDAY JUNE 26
2PM
2,225 PCR based Thursday. 39 positive tests, which translates to a 1.75% daily rate, below 2%guideline. 7-day cumulative is 1.8%. Cumulative positive rate from day1 dipped below 4% for the first time. Maine has completed 89,264 PCR tests.
Maine CDC worked with Houlton Regional Hospital, who collected 300 samples all results, 301 in total, there was only 1 was positive. Follow up and contact tracing investigation in progress.
Governor Mills started Friday's briefing by announcing the awarding of $9 million in grants that will help over 100 cities and towns under the 'Keep Maine Healthy Plan'
Here is the full story - Mills administration approves COVID-19 Prevention and Protection grant awards to municipalities as part of Keep Maine Healthy Plan
12:30 PM
Noon
Total cases: 3,102
Confirmed cases: 2,758
Probable cases: 344
Deaths: 103
Hospitalizations: 343
Recoveries: 2,542
Case Rate (per 10,000 people): 23.2
- Mainer doing stand-up comedy during COVID-19
- Bath Iron Works confirms 4th employee to test positive for COVID-19
- Texas family shaken after 18 relatives test positive for COVID-19 following surprise birthday party
- Bubble-free life means MLB players, coaches must be careful over coronavirus
- VERIFY: Face mask exempt card is 'fraudulent,' doesn't actually do anything
- VERIFY: Why a face mask box says it provides no protection to the wearer
- More than 1 million stimulus checks were sent to dead people, congressional watchdog finds
- Customers harassing workers over wearing masks leads to launch of Let's Be Kind campaign
- CDC expands list of groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness
- US health officials believe 20 million Americans have had coronavirus
- Chuck E. Cheese parent company files for bankruptcy
- Thousands more unemployment claims canceled for suspected fraudWho would be the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
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'
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
NEWS CENTER Maine YouTube COVID-19 Playlist