The upward trend in COVID-19 cases continues, with 4 new deaths and 156 cases reported in Maine

State health officials on Wednesday reported 156 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths, continuing an uptrend that shows no signs of slowing down.

This is the second time in the past eight days that four deaths have been recorded in a single day. There have been 23 deaths so far in November. During the whole month of October, there were only six.

For months, Maine’s daily case totals have been among the lowest in the country, hitting an average low of 14 cases per day in early August and never exceeding the high average of 40 cases per day since the end. may.

In less than a month, however, conditions have changed dramatically.

Westbrook firefighter Reed Gilbert is gathering information from Jacob Koris of Leeds at the Westbrook Public Safety Building on Tuesday where COVID-19 testing is free, appointment required. Derek Davis / Staff Photographer

On October 24, health officials reported more than 50 cases per day for the first time in nearly two months. Five days later, cases hit triple digits for the first time. Since November 2, the number of daily cases has been below 100 only once. Wednesday marked the 13th time in the past 15 days that daily cases have exceeded 150.

The 7-day average for daily cases is now 192, the highest to date. Some models predict that Maine’s daily cases could reach 500 by the end of the month.

In total, there have been 9,519 confirmed or probable cases since the start of the pandemic, as well as 600 hospitalizations and 170 deaths.

As of Wednesday, 85 people were currently hospitalized for COVID-19, including 30 in intensive care and 10 on a ventilator. A month ago this time, only 11 people were in the hospital. Hospitals have started to prepare for a further surge in patient numbers and many have the capacity to convert intensive care beds if needed.

The director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Nirav Shah, is due to brief the media at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

The number of active cases on Wednesday, 2,120, fell by 52 from the previous day, meaning there have been more recoveries than new cases in the past 24 hours. However, this is still more than three times the number of just a month ago (648), meaning there are exponentially more people with infectious diseases in Maine as the holiday season approaches. .

New cases were reported in 14 of 16 counties, led by Cumberland County with 31, York County with 31 and Androscoggin and Penobscot counties with 17 each.

Deaths have now been reported in all counties except Piscataquis, Sagadahoc and Washington. Cumberland County had the highest number of fatalities with 70, followed by York (27), Waldo (16) and Androscoggin and Kennebec with 14 each.

More than half (94) of the deaths were in people over the age of 80. Another 52 were people aged 70. Fourteen people in their sixties have died, along with 10 people under the age of 60.

Cases have exploded across the country in recent weeks, a surge that cripples hospitals and prompts some states to reintroduce restrictions or implement new ones.

This month, Maine Governor Janet Mills reduced the limit for indoor gatherings, strengthened the state’s mask mandate for public places, and removed Massachusetts from the list of exempt states. a 14-day quarantine or negative test before residents can visit. Additional restrictions could be in store if the trend does not reverse.

Portland’s Maine Medical Center said on Wednesday it was reducing visiting hours to protect staff and patients.

Patients in intensive care beds may have two visitors per day between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. All others can receive a visitor between 3 and 6 hours. Visitors are not allowed to wait in the emergency room.

“We understand that supporting families is an important part of healing for our patients,” Hospital President Jeff Sanders said in a statement. “Our goal is to balance this need for a family bond with the importance of reducing density in the hospital to ensure the safety of all of our patients and members of the care team.

The Sanford office of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services closed on Wednesday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The office will reopen “as soon as possible” after people who may have been exposed have been contacted, according to a press release.

Androscoggin Bank this week closed all of its branch lobbies until further notice in response to the increased number of cases. The Drive-up service is always available.

This story will be updated.

“Previous

Next ”

Related stories