Another nine cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Maine, health officials said Tuesday. It marks the lowest number of new cases the state has seen since April 27.
There have now been 2,819 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 2,810 on Monday.
Of those, 2,499 have been confirmed positive, while 320 are likely positive, according to the Maine CDC.
No new deaths were reported Tuesday, leaving the statewide death toll at 101. In the past week, the state has recorded only one new death, bringing them to a low not seen since the earliest days of the pandemic.
So far, 321 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, while 2,233 people have fully recovered from the virus, meaning there are 485 active and likely cases in the state, according to the Maine CDC. That’s down from 520 on Monday.
Here’s the latest on the coronavirus and Maine.
—“As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19, the illness caused by the new virus.” — Tom Krisher and Mark Sherman, The Associated Press
—“Workers who rely on direct deposit for their unemployment benefits did not see usual payments on Tuesday morning due to what the Maine Department of Labor described as an “unprecedented volume” of claims. The department said Tuesday morning that benefits might be delayed by 24 hours. Benefits were delayed for a similar reason the first week of April.” — Jessica Piper, BDN
—“America’s top doctor continues to encourage people to wear a face covering to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Those who want to continue reopening businesses and resuming more normal activities, balancing speed and safety, should listen.” — BDN Editorial Board
—“Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival: A cheap, widely available steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to a third in severely ill hospitalized patients.” — Marilynn Marchione, The Associated Press
— “The American Red Cross said it will test all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies. Mary Brant, communications manager for the Red Cross Northern New England Region, said the testing will provide donors “peace of mind and to know if they have these antibodies.” — The Associated Press
— As of Tuesday evening, the coronavirus has sickened 2,130,569 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 116,726 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
— Elsewhere in New England, there have been 7,665 coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts, 4,210 in Connecticut, 865 in Rhode Island, 320 in New Hampshire and 55 in Vermont.
