Maine CDC reports 58 new cases of COVID-19, 4 deaths

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday reported 58 cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths, adding to a continued increase in the seven-day average, which now stands at 36.4 cases.

A week ago, the seven-day average of new daily cases was 17.1. Last week’s increase brings averages closer to their end-October 2020 level – above their lowest level last summer, but far from peaks seen in Maine in January and April. The highest all-time seven-day average in Maine was 624 cases as of Jan.15.

Cumulative COVID-19 cases in Maine rose to 69,474 on Saturday. Of these, 50,812 have been confirmed by testing and 18,662 are considered probable cases of COVID-19. The 14-day average was 28.9 daily cases.

Eight hundred and eighty-two people have died from COVID-19 in Maine since the start of the pandemic. Information on the four people who died on Saturday was not yet available from the Maine CDC.

The University of Maine system, meanwhile, plans to require COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and students once existing vaccines receive final approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines now have emergency use authorization from federal authorities.

University system officials said the vaccine requirement would work in tandem with testing and quarantine restrictions to ensure a safer fall semester. The University of Maine system provides for a more traditional fall term, with most classes being taught in person.

“We want to make it clear as we prepare to start the academic year that in fact, when a vaccine is regularly approved, we will require it,” Chancellor Dannel Malloy said in an announcement on Friday. “It also has to do with the fact that the students will be showing up relatively soon. Most of them will be with us at the end of August and we want to be very clear. If regular approval is granted at any given time, then vaccination will be required. Do not wait and must hurry.

As of Saturday morning, Maine had given 801,238 people the last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of those 12 years of age and older, the population currently eligible for vaccination, 67.66 percent are now fully vaccinated.

County by county on Saturday, there had been 8,460 coronavirus cases in Androscoggin, 1,928 in Aroostook, 17,333 in Cumberland, 1,400 in Franklin, 1,386 in Hancock, 6,643 in Kennebec, 1,164 in Knox, 1,093 in Lincoln, 3,667 in Oxford, 6,394 in Penobscot, 593 in Piscataquis, 1,477 in Sagadahoc, 2,296 in Somerset, 1,068 in Waldo, 950 in Washington and 13,622 in York.

By age, 18.9% of patients were under 20, while 18.2% were in their twenties, 15.2% in their thirties, 13.4% in their forties, 14.5% in their fifties, 10.2% in their 60s, 5.3% were in their 70s, and 4.2% were 80 or older.

Maine hospitals were welcoming 27 patients with COVID-19 on Saturday, 11 of whom were in intensive care and four on ventilators.

Globally on Saturday morning, there were 189.6 million known cases of COVID-19 and 4.07 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has recorded more than 34 million cases and 608,818 deaths.

This story will be updated.

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