State reports 106 new COVID-19 cases and 4 more deaths on Thursday

State health officials reported 106 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the highest one-day total since late May.

Four additional deaths have also been reported.

The seven-day daily average of cases rose to 58, from an average of 20 cases two weeks earlier. The average hasn’t been that high for about a month and a half.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 69,780 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 and 891 deaths, according to data from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Maine, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Wednesday was 25, including 14 in intensive care. The number of hospitalizations here has been stable for more than a month, but this measurement is often lagging behind peaks in cases.

In the United States, daily new cases have nearly tripled in the past two weeks. States with lower vaccination rates are particularly affected as the highly transmissible delta variant has taken hold, but all states are experiencing peaks.

The seven-day U.S. average on Wednesday was 37,673, up from an average of 14,892 cases two weeks ago. Deaths have increased over time from 164 per day to 237 per day, according to data from the US CDC. Hospitalizations also reached their highest level since May and mostly concern unvaccinated people.

In neighboring Massachusetts, which, like Maine, has a high vaccination rate, daily cases rose from an average of 79 to 334 in two weeks, the length of an incubation period. New Hampshire’s daily cases have more than doubled from an average of 21 to 47 over that period.

Florida, which has an immunization rate 15 percentage points lower than Maine, has seen its average number of daily cases skyrocket from 2,476 to 8,107 in two weeks.

When it comes to vaccinations, Maine remains stuck at 60% of all residents who have been fully vaccinated and 67% of eligible people aged 12 and over. Although the state ranks behind only Vermont and Massachusetts, the rate hasn’t changed much in several weeks. And there are still big gaps in vaccinations in younger individuals and in some geographies.

Among Mainers 40 and older, 77 percent have been fully immunized, but for those aged 12 to 39, the rate is only 52 percent.

There are five counties in Maine where the vaccination rate is at least 60 percent, led by Cumberland County at 71 percent. On the other hand, two counties – Somerset and Piscataquis – have not yet reached the 50% threshold.

The state continues to promote vaccine options. The Maine CDC has announced that people can visit the Clinton Fire Hall from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday to get vaccinated.

This story will be updated.

” Previous