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An additional 24 cases of the new coronavirus were detected in Maine, health officials said Saturday.
There have now been 3,397 cases in all Maine counties since the outbreak began here in March, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s over 3,373 on Friday.
Of those, 3,012 have been confirmed as positive, while 385 are likely positive, according to the Maine CDC.
New cases were counted in Androscoggin (4), Cumberland (13), Hancock (1), Oxford (2), Penobscot (2), Somerset (1) and York (4) counties.
Two new deaths were reported Saturday, bringing the statewide death toll to 107. Almost all deaths have been in Mainers over the age of 60.
Meanwhile, 20 more people have recovered from the coronavirus, bringing the total recoveries to 2,751. That means there are 539 probable and active cases in the state, up from 537 on Friday. Active cases have accelerated in the past week, from 424 on June 24, after falling steadily since late May.
Here is the latest on the coronavirus and its impact on Maine.
– “Movie theaters in Maine may be operational again Wednesday under Governor Janet Mills’ third phase of reopening of the state’s economy, but regrouping from the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a matter of opening the front door . A major challenge for independent media such as the Center Theater at Dover-Foxcroft is scheduling movies, in addition to physical seating changes to provide social distancing and clean-up protocols to directly address the threat of the coronavirus in the theater. ” – Ernie Clark, BDN
– “A public health campaign Bangor launched a month ago to encourage people to cover their faces in public has garnered statewide attention and funding after a month of being primarily online. And the campaign will take on additional importance as Governor Janet Mills steps up enforcement of the state-face coverage requirement in a handful of cities, including Bangor and the coastal counties popular with tourists. “- Eesha Pendharkar, BDN
– “Facial masks are one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from the capture and spread of the coronavirus. But they don’t have to be simple: in fact, a well-designed face mask can be a great statement piece. Here are some ways you can wear your cloth face mask while continuing to wear it this summer. ” – Sam Schipani, BDN
– “The federal government is no longer sending the disposable isolation gowns described in New Hampshire as useless garbage bags to nursing homes and is instead providing a different style, according to a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The New Hampshire Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said this week that most items shipped by FEMA to protect workers against the coronavirus were unusable, including child-sized gloves, surgical masks with earhooks They broke when stretched and insulated. dresses without openings for arms. – The Associated Press
As of Saturday afternoon, the coronavirus has sickened 2,817,620 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has caused 129,575 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. .
