April 26 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

April 26 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

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There are now 1,015 coronavirus cases confirmed in all of Maine’s counties, according to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s an increase of 25 cases since Saturday.

The statewide death toll remains at 50.

The three deaths reported on Saturday involve three women older than 80 from Androscoggin, Franklin and Waldo counties.

So far, 159 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Of those, 39 people are currently hospitalized in the state, with 19 in critical care and seven on ventilators, according to the Maine CDC.

Here is the latest on the coronavirus and its impact on Maine.

— Here’s what we know about the Mainers who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

— More than 400,000 Maine residents have already received economic impact payments from the federal government. Here’s what to do if you haven’t received any.

— “Thousands of students in Maine are currently unable to attend their online classes, unable to complete their assignments and unable to engage in group-learning activities. In our state’s transition to distance learning, many students without internet access are being left behind,” writes Rep. Tina Riley, D-Jay and Rep. Holly Stover, D-Boothbay in today’s guest opinion column.

— “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. This may jeopardize efforts to allow people to return to work after recovering from the virus.

— The news may be grim, much of the time. And yet, everywhere, everyday, there is good news — whether it’s coronavirus-related or not. Here are some of the most heartwarming stories we’ve reported on in the past few weeks, from towns and cities all over the state.

— Schools across Maine began switching to online learning in mid-March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Community college instructors Jennifer Graham and Lynne Nelson Manion shared tips from their soon-to-be published guidebook, “Online Survival Guide: Navigating the Terrain of Online Education.”

— What you need to know about wearing a mask in public during the virus outbreak.

— Watch: Raising a blended family during a pandemic

— As of 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the coronavirus has sickened more than 961,000 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 54,530 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.