Several other entertainment venues did not return messages seeking information on their masking policies Thursday. "COVID is not taking the winter off.". You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. On March 12, Maine announced the state's first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a Navy reservist in her 50s from Androscoggin County who had returned from duty in Italy. [32], On March 24, the City of Portland announced that the manager has signed a stay-at-home order beginning on March 25 for all non-essential businesses and services in Portland, with a potential end date on April 27. [76] Summer cruises for the TS State of Maine and the Bowdoin ships were postponed, and students registered to complete a cruise in the summer will have to seek alternative opportunities. While hospital officials do not report their facilities areoverwhelmed by COVID patients, hospitalizations are on the rise. [110] On March 26, 2021, they announced a return to in person and on campus learning in the fall semester for some classes. [4][5] On March 27, 2020, Maine reported its first death due to coronavirus, which was a man in his 80s from Cumberland County. "The situation here in New Hampshire remains very serious, the data shows that community transmission is increasing, and we expect cases to rise," Sununu said. 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. WebThe COVID-19 pandemic was publicly reported to have reached the U.S. state of Maine on March 12, 2020. With the development of COVID vaccines and treatments, many medical experts were optimistic that cases could increase without an accompanying jumpin hospitalizations. Learn more. As of February2, 2021[update], the Maine Department of Health and Human Services reported 131,530 confirmed cases and 46,971 probable cases in the state, with 1,777 deaths attributed to the virus. The Maine CDC warns the numbers will remain high for the next several days. Malaysian students may have to mask up in school again as Covid case rise. Waldo Countys current seven-day case rate is 199 cases per 100,000 people. [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. (NY Times) Apr 26, 2022 CDC estimates that 3 in 4 children have had COVID-19 infections and more than half of all Americans had signs of previous infections (US News) Apr 21, 2022 Janet Mills convenes a coronavirus response team for Maine", "Janet Mills advises postponing gatherings after Maine sees first positive coronavirus test", "Janet Mills declares state of emergency after Maine announces new coronavirus cases", "SBA Approves Governor Mills' Application for Loans to Help Eligible Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Gov. [18], On March 24, 2020, Governor Mills ordered all non-essential businesses to close their physical locations and cease in-person contact and urged all essential businesses to limit the number of individuals in stores at any given time. Across the U.S., coronavirus case numbers have been rising due to the spread of the delta variant, mostly among the unvaccinated. 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. [30] She wrote a letter to President Donald Trump to request financial assistance, subsidies, operating loans, or other measures to support the seafood industry, fishermen, and aquaculture. [28] The data also shows an increase in infections among primary and secondary school children. [112] On April 12, 2020, NMCC began enrolling students in four free online healthcare career path training programs to address pandemic workforce needs. Because COVID is at a high tide and staying there. [37] Nursing homes were also now able to request funds to help respond to the pandemic within their facilities. In India, the number of active coronavirus cases has been steadily rising in recent weeks, with almost 50,000 recorded on Friday, according to the countrys Health Breakthrough COVID-19 cases are rising in Maine, but theyre still Q&A: Why are breakthrough COVID cases rising in Maine? And Covid variant 'Arcturus' is spreading: What to know about XBB.1.16 [79] On March 13, 2020, The University of New England announced that all competitive athletics were canceled for the spring season and that all courses would move online for the spring semester, excluding advanced Dental Hygiene and advanced Nursing student courses. "Because the hospitals can't absorb all these patients, they're just under such pressure for beds, especially the ICU beds," Judge said. Johns Hopkins experts in global "We know by now that we expect fluctuations in cases," said Andujar Vazquez. The new restrictions take effect Wednesday. Passengers using walkers and wheelchairs were allowed to board from the front of the bus. The new XBB.1.16 Omicron subvariant is rising in the U.S. and may cause unusual symptoms like pink eye, especially in children. Case [6] On April 29, 8 employees working at a local Tyson Foods meat packaging plant in Portland, Maine tested positive for COVID-19 prompting talks about halting the plant's production. Cumberland and the other counties remain in the green, or low-risk, category. Such projects include maintenance on several Portland-area bridges on Interstate 295, which can now occur at daytime due to a 60 percent traffic reduction from normal levels. But hospitals are dealing with a I'm concerned about yet another surge beginning after Thanksgiving (just like last year). 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. In recent days, the numbers have prompted several school districts, including Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge, to urge masking in classrooms. Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said case numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last "monstrous" one in the winter, according to the Associated Press. COVID hospitalizations and deaths also tend to lag other increases, since it takes time for patients who become infected to get sick enough to require hospital treatment, and many people will experience only mild or moderate symptoms. He said the Maine CDC is taking a close look at why Waldo County is seeing such high transmission rates, but theres no clear answer right now. Gabrielle Emanuel Twitter Senior Health and Science ReporterGabrielle Emanuel is a senior health and science reporter for WBUR. [57], On May 6, 2020, Gov. The country recorded more than 6,000 cases in one day well below the peak of 7 million recorded in December. Maine's seven-day rolling average of new cases stood at 207 on Monday after rising above 200 last week for the first time in more Waldo County remains in the high transmission category, where mask wearing also is recommended. [20] The Maine Legislature also enacted a supplemental budget of $73 million which focused on coronavirus response, including $1 million to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, $15 million to increase MaineCare reimbursement rates for health care providers, and $38 million to K-12 education to help in the wake of school closures. On Tuesday, Pfizer requested the Food and Drug Administration allow all Americans over 18 to be eligible for booster shots.