According to a recent report by the Department of Financial Regulation, people who are not fully vaccinated continue to report infection rates 3.7 times higher, per capita, compared to people who are fully vaccinated. In this file photo taken on Nov. 05, 2021, a 7 year-old child receives their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the Beaumont Health offices in Southfield, Mich. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The University of Maine System isrequiring vaccines for on-campus students this fall, accelerating a previously stated timeline that called for a vaccine requirement for students and staff after a vaccine received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The number of Mainers who have received a COVID-19 booster shot stands at 651,034. "Whether that's an intrinsic property of the virus or the level of vaccination-induced immunity or previous infection-induced immunity is not clear.. This order also suspended hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, short-term rentals, RV parks, campgrounds, and all public and private camping facilities. [69] The University of Maine system announced that all courses would be administered via remote learning starting March 25, 2020, with the Law School resuming classes on March 23, 2020. The latest numbers bring the seven-day average of new cases in the state to 107.6, which is up from 69 one week ago and 20 cases per day one month ago. Experts estimate that the majority of cases in Massachusetts now are caused by a subvariant of omicron known as BA2.12.1. Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Maine, United States, Map of the outbreak in Maine by confirmed. Already have a commenting profile? Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. There's basic arithmetic at play: As more people get vaccinated, even if breakthroughs are rare, a rising number of cases will be among the vaccinated. [92] There have been no COVID-19 cases on the Thomas College campus and the institution plans to resume in-person classes in the fall. [28] The data also shows an increase in infections among primary and secondary school children. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. The patterns observed in communities with current spikes in infections and hospitalizations suggest that they are driven not only by those still unvaccinated, but also the decline of vaccine efficacy over time. [118] The Authority announced that drivers uncomfortable with handing cash to a toll collector would not be penalized for using the EZ Pass only lanes and paying tolls online or by mail. More Mainers encouraged to wear masks indoors as COVID-19 transmission rates rise, requiring vaccines for on-campus students, Caribou man killed in wrong-way turnpike crash in Kittery, Victor Grange in Fairfield receives visitors at open house, Waterville man arrested after threat to MaineGenerals Thayer Center for Health causes lockdown, One injured after car crashes into Vassalboro home, bursts into flames, Towns challenge new Maine law meant to ease housing crisis. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. [86] On March 12, 2020, The College of the Atlantic announced that all instruction for spring 2020 would move to an online format, residence halls would be closed, and all in-person services would be eliminated. Malaysian students may have to mask up in school again as Covid case rise. The test positivity rate is The state had been slated to reopen bars Monday, but that has been postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date, said Mills, a Democrat. Even if the majority of COVID patients are not in the hospital because of COVID, it can be disruptive to hospital operations, cautions Bill Hanage, a Harvard epidemiologist. Waldo County remains in the high transmission category, where mask wearing also is recommended. Experts say several factors is likely driving the U.S.'s recent COVID uptick. New deaths: 0 [78] As of March 25, 2020 four cases of coronavirus were confirmed among the campus community. [27], On March 19, the City of Bangor announced that the Community Connector bus service would begin only allowing people to enter from the rear of the bus to encourage social distancing beginning on March 20. 249 people are now hospitalized with the virus, down 11 from yesterday. Keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter. Maine (WABI) - 748 new cases of COVID being reported by the Maine CDC. Experts say a confluence of factors is likely driving the country's recent increases in infections, including the more than 100 million Americans who remain completely unvaccinated, cold weather and relaxed restrictions, the highly transmissible delta variant, and waning vaccine immunity. [116], MaineDOT has been able to schedule more daytime road work due to the reduced traffic caused by the pandemic, which means expensive night work is not necessary, saving costs. (Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press) As the official daily case count rises, more Maine counties have been reclassified as having a moderate risk of virus transmission and increased hospitalizations. [62], Gov. Further, according to the report, 67% of hospitalizations, over the last seven days, are among the unvaccinated. The recommendation from Portland officials comes as Maine reported another 152 cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 70,996. Nationwide, COVID-19 cases have fallen 7 percent over the past two weeks compared with the prior two-week period, according to a New York Times analysis. On Thursday there were 44 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Maine, including 18 in critical care and seven on ventilators. Photo: AFP. [84], Students of Bates College were asked to leave campus on March 14, 2020, and the college transitioned to remote work models on March 17, 2020. Enter your email and password to access comments. After vital reccords review, COVID-19 cases in the state of Maine have topped over 200,000. That's a lot of warm water for hurricane delta. Thank you! On October 22, 2020, 46 COVID-19 cases were linked to a fellowship rally between October 2 and October 4 at the Brooks Pentecostal Church. "The patients we're seeing are primarily unvaccinated and the vast majority of patients in the ICU, and on ventilators are unvaccinated, and that continues to be the challenge. The U.S. CDC defines high transmission as cumulative cases of 100 or more per 100,000 people in the last seven days. "If we do not control this outbreak, we may never get this evil genie back in the bottle," she said. Andrew Cuomo discouraged travel to and from Massachusetts, but stopped short of putting Massachusett's on the state's advisory list. Cases are typically updated weekly and are less consistently reported than earlier in the pandemic because of a lack of widespread testing. New Covid-19 Cases Rising In 22 States. [122] One round trip between Boston and Brunswick was resumed on June 15, 2020. [97], On March 12, 2020, Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) chose to extend its Spring Break and on March 17, 2020, the decision was made to move all courses to an online format, close residence halls, and cancel all gatherings of more than ten people. What is clear,according to MGH's Lemieux,is that it has the ability to drive up cases. ", Vermont sees record surge in COVID-19 infections. "As we go into the winter months with the challenge of a respiratory infection being worse in the winter months, we can get through this if we really put a lot of effort into getting as many people vaccinated as we possibly can," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in an interview with NPR, this week. Maine has been one of the most successful states at controlling the virus, but it's dealing with a wave of new infections. New York state court system puts trials on hold again because of rising coronavirus cases . At Portland Stage, Executive and Artistic Director Anita Stewart said they have adjusted protocols to have all audience members wear masks when attending shows in order to meet the U.S. CDC recommendation. Hospitalizations: 44 [93][94] The Maine College of Health Professions suspended clinical courses on March 13, 2020. Longtime Kennebec County register of probate to retire in June. The number of people testing positive for Covid in the UK has been rising in recent days to more than 50,000 cases in one day. This was the case especially in urban areas, though MDOT did not release specific figures as they were incomplete. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Judge explained that they are frequently flying patients out of state, at times, as far away as Connecticut or New York, depending on bed availability. Boosters can at least play a supporting role in averting a larger surge this winter," Brownstein said. But the situation has changed in the past week so that there has been more clarity from the U.S. CDC as well as more stability because we are all headed in the same direction. Unfortunately for Maine, that direction is toward transmission rates rising to the point that masks may soon be recommended in most if not all counties, Shah said. [68] Half of the federal aid money received will go directly to supporting students. The number of COVID-19 infections in Maine has jumped 35 percent since July 1 as the delta variant has swept across every corner of Maine, leading to record numbers Mills rescheduled Maine's congressional and legislative primary elections from June 9, 2020, to July 14. [92], Unity College began remote instruction on March 30, 2020, but has planned an on-campus commencement ceremony for August 1, 2020. [91] On March 15, 2020, in-person instruction was suspended at Thomas College, courses transitioned to online formats, and it was announced that campus residences were closing on March 18, 2020. Shah has stated he believes that 60-80 percent of new cases in Maine are resulting from the delta variant, which is consistent with findings in other northeastern states. When Jacob Lemieux looked at the latest COVID numbers from Massachusetts, he did not like what he saw. (Maine CDC) By WABI News Desk. As more social distancing practices were put into effect, the City of Bangor began using an honor system for the bus service and asked that passengers not occupy the seats directly behind the driver. Actual case numbers are probably higher. [70] The 90% of students who vacated their residence halls were eligible for tuition rebates on a case-by-case basis. Already, two other XBB strains, XBB.1.9.1 and XBB.1.9.2 are also rising in the U.S. Don't have a commenting profile? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. There were no new deaths, "Waning immunity likely is also contributing to increases in cases especially among those with increased vulnerability because of underlying conditions. [85] Bates College has taken a financial loss of up to $2 million as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And after nearly 10 weeks of declines, national hospitalizations have also begun to increase. But hospitals are dealing with a We have been and are still looking at a different way to cut it, Shah said in an interview Thursday. Although cases fell precipitously between mid-January and mid-March, there has been a slow, persistent increase since then. Volunteer professionals who answer the support line include licensed psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and nurse practitioners. WebIn the state-specific view of the graph, this two-week period is highlighted in orange if cases are trending upward, or green if they are trending down. [77] Millions are travelling during the five-day Labour Day holiday. There are also 3,784 newly recorded cases. Apr. [74] To support hybrid learning models that comply with social distancing requirements, the University of Maine system will spend $2.56 million for classroom IT upgrades. This comes after the Maine CDC reported a spike of over a hundred new cases yesterday. [58][59] The committee consists of thirty-seven members, and is co-chaired by Laurie Lachance, President of Thomas College and former Maine State Economist, and Josh Broder, the CEO of Tilson. Experts say the current increase in COVIDcases is being driven by changes in both the virus, and in behavior and policy. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah noted those numbers might increase on Wednesday, saying that certain situations where more Mills signed an executive order which prevented the immediate eviction of residents during the state of emergency, and also announced a partnership with MaineHousing to provide rental assistance. Published: Feb. 16, 2022 at 5:47 AM PST AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - 3,556 new COVID-19 cases are being reported making the new state total 202,221. Maine officials on Friday are reporting just 54 additional cases of COVID-19. This declaration allows for state agencies and municipalities in Maine to be reimbursed for 75% of approved costs related to pandemic response.[41][42]. The order also required residents of Maine to wear cloth face coverings in public places where physical distancing could not be achieved, such as within retail stores and taking public transportation. Recoveries: Reported completed isolations With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Johns Hopkins experts in global Photo: Reuters Malaysia s mask mandate may make a return to schools, as the Health While the numbers are far from their peak at the height of the omicron wave, some experts had hoped the spring would offer a reprieve from the coronavirus. The newly released data also shows nine more Mainers died with the virus. This article was originally published on May 13, 2022. In Maine, COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been steadily rising across the state, despite the fact more than 70% of the state's total population fully inoculated. Dr. Rivers is paying attention to another new subvariant, XBB.1.9.1, which makes up about 8 percent of U.S. infections right now. The new restrictions take effect Wednesday. There are currently more than 700 patients in the commonwealth hospitalized with COVID. Please enter valid email address to continue. [61], On June 11, 2020, Gov. Share this Article. Already, two other XBB strains, XBB.1.9.1 and XBB.1.9.2 are also rising in the U.S. [76] Until February 28, 2020, CDC testing protocols allowed tests only for people who had traveled to China. "More than 40% of the country remains unvaccinated. "We won't have transmission when people are outdoors. We're continuing to say the hospitals are full to capacity," Thomas Judge, executive director of LifeFlight of Maine, told ABC News. [83] On March 26, 2020, there were five total members of the Colby College community, including at least two students, who had tested positive for the virus. It was unclear how the traffic decrease would affect the Turnpike's finances, though executive director Peter Mills said he would recommend to the Authority's board that they go ahead with a vote on a $28 million contract to widen five miles of the highway. On March 29 the U.S. CDC expanded eligibility for a second booster shot to people age 50 and over, especially those 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions. Five counties, Aroostook, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Washington and Hancock are now are in the yellow, or moderate risk, category, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [107], York County Community College (YCCC) had moved all classes online as of March 17, 2020 and on May 20, 2020, announced a postponement of their spring 2020 commencement ceremony. [55] Baxter State Park, a park independent of the state park system, announced it would close until at least July 1, only permitting walk-in day hikes. [80] On March 22, 2020, The University of New England announced that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19 and on March 24, 2020, the university announced that it would postpone its commencement ceremonies. [16], On March 15, 2020, Governor Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency which allows the governor to establish emergency reserves of products, allows the state to access federal funding to combat the outbreak, and allows for suspension of certain laws. All rights reserved. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Thats up from a seven-day average of 12,434 one month ago, according to data from the New York Times. The department said it would monitor the remaining state parks, most of which were still closed for the winter though walk-ins are permitted. [87] Maine College of Art closed all academic buildings to students on March 15, 2020, and announced on March 29, 2020, that the remainder of the spring term would be conducted online. [98] SMCC will also hold all summer classes online. [15], After the first case was reported on March 12, 2020, Governor Janet Mills declared a health insurance emergency to insure private insurance coverage of coronavirus testing, recommended postponing gatherings of more than 250 people for at least 30 days, and suspended all non-essential out-of-state travel by state employees for 30 days. Quality of life or homeless crackdown in Lewiston? The Rising Nepal; Sun, 23 April 2023; Mexico migrant camp tents torched across border from Texas. The low-risk designation indicates the level of transmission and rate of hospitalizations are not expected to strain local hospitals. "We know by now that we expect fluctuations in cases," said Andujar Vazquez. So there are some early signs that we're headed in the wrong direction. Total deaths: 900 However, the U.S. appears to be once again at an inflection point, with cold weather setting in across much of the North, COVID-19 restrictions relaxed and gatherings growing more frequent. Similarly, 14 states -- Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin -- have seen an increase of about 10% or more in hospital admissions over the last week. WebIn early 2020, deaths from all causes exceeded the seasonal average, [75] and data from early 2020 suggest additional deaths that were not counted in official reported coronavirus mortality statistics. [117], The Maine Turnpike Authority said it was paying all of its employees two weeks of administrative leave, and workers who continued to report to work would still be given it, effectively doubling their pay. WebThe COVID-19 pandemic was publicly reported to have reached the U.S. state of Maine on March 12, 2020. Mills issued a Stay Safer at Home Executive Order, which was set to be in effect until May 31, 2020. COVID-19 cases on the rise in nearly 2 dozen states. As the COVID-19 virus explodes across the country, Maine this week recorded a significant increase in cases, hospitalizations, and positivity rates. [35], On March 26, 2020, Governor Mills extended the deadline for state income tax payments from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. [60], The city of Biddeford gives an emergency ordinance, which allows retailers and restaurants to use public space with a temporary "special event permit". [49], On April 22, Gov. The seven-day average for case counts is over three times higher than it was in March. Experts say a confluence of factors is likely driving the country's recent uptick besides cold weather -- largely the more than 107 million Americans who remain completely unvaccinated and continue to account for the majority of new infections and hospitalizations. [31] She also issued an executive order which would allow licensed physicians, physician assistants, and nurses who were licensed in another state to be issued an emergency Maine license valid through the declared state of emergency. Learn more. But why there? [47], On April 21, Gov. Shots are still going into arms with more than 3,000 doses administered between Monday and Tuesday of this week, according to Maine CDC data. Add your email address and we'll send you central Maine news, weather updates and traffic alerts as they happen. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the state's second-largest outbreak occurred after a wedding reception on August 7, 2020. [113] Washington County Community College moved all their courses online as of March 17, 2020. [43][44] This order also extended license expiration and renewal dates.
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