Another 30 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Maine, health officials said Thursday.
There have now been 2,667 cases across all of Maine’s counties since the outbreak began here in March, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 2,637 on Wednesday.
Of those, 2,380 have been confirmed positive, while 287 are likely positive, according to the Maine CDC.
No new deaths were reported Thursday, leaving the statewide death toll at 100. It was the second day in a row with no new deaths.
So far, 308 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Of those, 29 people are currently hospitalized, with 12 in critical care and five on ventilators.
Meanwhile, 2,062 people have fully recovered from the virus, meaning there are 505 active and likely cases in the state, according to the Maine CDC. That’s down from 514 on Wednesday. Active cases of the virus have been trending down in recent days, falling from 714 on May 24, Maine CDC data show.
Here’s the latest on the coronavirus and Maine.
—“A state agency on Thursday previewed a new app that it said should help attract out-of-state tourists and make them feel safe in the state. The app, which is available online but is still being improved, lets tourists pledge that they have met testing requirements and check regularly for coronavirus symptoms.” — Lori Valigra, BDN
—“Stacy Shorey can’t remember the last time she spent nearly three straight hours in a school bus. But the RSU 68 superintendent of schools was more than willing to relive that experience along with the teachers and staff at SeDoMoCha Middle and Elementary schools, who toured the district Wednesday morning to see their students in person for the first time in nearly three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” — Ernie Clark, BDN
—“Maine Senate President Troy Jackson said “we’re getting close” to the point where state lawmakers may reconvene, three months after they adjourned and gave Democratic Gov. Janet Mills broad emergency powers to address the pandemic.” — The Associated Press
—“New jobless claims last week fell to their lowest level since the coronavirus outbreak began in Maine back in March. That slide comes as the Mills administration moves to relax more coronavirus restrictions, easing the economic toll from a months-long effort to halt the spread of the respiratory illness.” — Christopher Burns, BDN
—“Greater Bangor’s public bus system will again collect fares from riders starting next month as the state gradually eases more coronavirus-related restrictions.” — Christopher Burns, BDN
—“Penobscot County voters will not be asked in November to approve funding for a new jail as officials consider whether operational changes imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak will become permanent. It could be November 2021 before the measure appears on the ballot.” — Judy Harrison, BDN
As of Thursday evening, the coronavirus has sickened 2,016,630 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 113,652 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
Elsewhere in New England, there have been 7,492 coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts, 4,146 in Connecticut, 823 in Rhode Island, 308 in New Hampshire and 55 in Vermont.
