BELFAST, Maine — Waldo County General Hospital officials say several COVID-19 cases among its staff do not appear to be linked.
The Belfast hospital confirmed eight staff members recently contracted the virus.
In a release Wednesday, officials said independent contact tracing found the individuals were all exposed outside of the facility.
While some of those staff members were vaccinated, most of them were not, according to the WCGH. Officials said, as of Aug. 4, More than 79% of employees had been vaccinated.
"Throughout the pandemic, WCGH has been closely following CDC guidelines, providing all required personal protective equipment and adhering to all recommended procedures for safeguarding patients and care team members," a spokesperson said in a release. "WCGH will continue to take all recommended precautions to keep both patients and care team members safe."
Waldo County is currently the only county in the state classified as 'high transmission' for the virus by the CDC with a positivity rate of 11.62.
The discovery of these cases comes as Maine's largest hospital Maine Medical Center reported an outbreak in its Emergency Dept. with as many as 10 cases this week.
"These infections are a reminder that COVID-19 remains a threat to our community," the hospital said. "WCGH encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated."