Maine surpasses 100 COVID-19 hospitalizations for the first time

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed 100 in Maine for the first time on Monday as the state continues to see a steady increase in coronavirus cases, serious illnesses and deaths.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 102 people have been hospitalized – an increase of eight from Sunday – and the number of people occupying intensive care beds has also increased from 42 to 45. There are four weeks, on October 26, there were only 13 hospitalizations among people with COVID-19 in Maine and five people being treated in intensive care units.

The Maine CDD also reported 185 new cases on Monday as well as one additional death. The seven-day average of daily new cases was 205.9 on Monday, up from 181.4 a week ago and 33.7 a month ago. The surge in cases in Maine began in late October and early November and has continued.

The still high number of cases and hospitalizations alarm Maine public health experts.

Hospitalizations have increased in Maine in recent weeks, particularly in central, western and eastern Maine. The 102 hospitalizations are more than 50% higher than the worst day of the spring outbreak of the virus. And while the number of people in intensive care units has declined somewhat since last week, from 49 to 45 on Monday, there are fears that coronavirus cases are increasing at a time when seasonal flu typically spikes in hospitalizations in Maine. .

With Thanksgiving Thursday, if warnings to limit travel and avoid gatherings that do not include immediate family members go unheeded, experts say a further escalation of COVID-19 cases could arise in the weeks after Thanksgiving. An AAA projection for New England shows Thanksgiving trips to New England states are only expected to decline by about 9%.

Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, will address the media at 2pm today. Overall, there have been 10,544 cases of COVID-19 and 177 deaths.

Last week, Governor Janet Mills imposed a 9 p.m. closing time for restaurants, theaters, tasting rooms and casinos, which began Friday and will last until December 6.

With two vaccines on the verge of FDA approval, Maine CDC officials say they are planning a large-scale effort to vaccinate as many people as possible, as soon as possible, involving the National Guard, firefighters, police officers, and others. paramedics and many other healthcare workers. The first dose-limited supply could arrive from mid to late December, with most supplies arriving in 2021.

This story will be updated.

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