MAINE, USA — EVERY NUMBER IS A LIFE: Celebrating the life of loved ones during the faceless anonymity of Maine coronavirus COVID fatalities.
KEY MAINE CORONAVIRUS FACTS
- Read Governor Janet Mills' plan to reopen rural Maine
- 66 Mainers have died out of 1,515 COVID-19 cases. 1,372 of these cases are confirmed by test and 143 are probable.
- 204 Mainers have been hospitalized, 943 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 13
Most recent coronavirus stories:
- Maine hospitality industry in hiring limbo
- Questions answered: Guidelines for 14 day self-quarantine due to coronavirus, COVID-19
- A cruise ship that had at least one passenger test positive for COVID-19 may be coming to Eastport
- Couple postpones wedding twice as Maine's $937 million industry is crippled by COVID-19 restrictions
- Road to recovery: Mainers share personal stories of coronavirus, COVID-19 diagnosis
- New partnership supports Maine dairy farmers and helps hungry Mainers
3 p.m.
2 p.m.
The additional death reported Wednesday was a woman in her 90s from Cumberland County.
In total, there are 1,515 cases of COVID-19; 1,372 are confirmed and 143 are probable. Dr. Shah says 333 cases are among health care workers.
In Maine, 28,257 have been tested for COVID-19. Dr. Shah says the Maine CDC will be shifting from reporting the number of people tested to the number of tests performed, which is more consistent with what other states are reporting.
The cumulative number of tests that have been performed is 33,035.
The Maine National Guard has now fit-tested 546 individuals and still have 565 people who will be fit tested in the next couple of days. Dr. Shah explains that fit testing is a necessary prerequisite that health care workers must undergo before they can utilize an N-95 mask.
Dr. Shah says the have been informed that additional stock of the drug remdesivir will be delivered to Maine as soon as next week, though a specific date was not given.
12 p.m.
The Maine CDC is reporting one additional death, for a state total of 66. There are 1,372 confirmed positive cases and 143 probable cases; 943 have recovered.
- Red Claws, TD Bank, Portland Pie Company, team up to fuel the frontlines during coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Bowdoin College graduate lending knowledge to research group to design new ventilator
- Small businesses pivot to survive during coronavirus, COVID-19
- Augusta nurse working on the coronavirus front lines in New York hospital
- Dentists say patients are suffering because routine care can't resume due to coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic
- Another $1,200 may come your way in a new stimulus bill
- Portland proposes plan for open-air market
- Walmart repeats cash bonuses for workers
- Artist with autism creates balloon sculptures to thank essential workers
- Maine engineering teacher creates emergency ventilator with students, wants to share with world
- 'Monk' actor Tony Shalhoub reveals he and his wife had COVID-19
- Maine DHHS launches campaign to promote awareness of affordable health insurance options amid coronavirus, COVID-19
- All 50 Augusta fire-rescue personnel test negative for COVID-19
- Maine bus companies travel to Washington D.C. to join rolling rally
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.