Another Mainer dies as 230 new coronavirus cases are reported across the state
By Christopher Burns, Bangor Daily News Staff
This story will be updated.
Another Mainer has died as health officials on Wednesday reported 230 new coronavirus cases across the state.
Wednesday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 11,027. Of those, 9,916 have been confirmed positive, while 1,111 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.
The agency revised Tuesday’s cumulative total to 10,797, down from 10,799, meaning there was a net increase of 228 over the previous day’s report, state data show. As the Maine CDC continues to investigate previously reported cases, some are determined to have not been the coronavirus, or coronavirus cases not involving Mainers. Those are removed from the state’s cumulative total. The Bangor Daily News reports on the number of new cases reported to the Maine CDC in the previous 24 hours, rather than the increase of daily cumulative cases.
New cases were reported in Androscoggin (23), Aroostook (10), Cumberland (37), Franklin (3), Hancock (8), Kennebec (17), Knox (4), Lincoln (3), Oxford (3), Penobscot (37), Piscataquis (1), Sagadahoc (3), Somerset (14), Waldo (6), Washington (6) and York (48) counties, state data show. Information about where an additional seven cases were reported wasn’t immediately available.
The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 217.4, up from 207.6 a day ago, up from 191.9 a week ago and up from 40.1 a month ago.
A Somerset County resident has succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 190. Nearly all deaths have been in Mainers over age 60.
Wednesday’s report marks the sixth time in the past 10 days with more than 200 new cases. It comes as Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday extended her civil state of emergency for the ninth time as the monthlong surge in virus transmission shows no signs of abating. That order now expires Dec. 23, unless it is extended again.
Health officials have warned Mainers that “forceful and widespread” community transmission is being seen throughout the state. Every county is seeing high community transmission, which the Maine CDC defines as a case rate of 16 or more cases per 10,000 people.
There are two criteria for establishing community transmission: at least 10 confirmed cases and that at least 25 percent of those are not connected to either known cases or travel.
So far, 678 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Information about those currently hospitalized wasn’t immediately available.
Meanwhile, 360 more people have recovered from the coronavirus, bringing total recoveries to 8,592. That means there are 2,245 active confirmed and “probable” cases in the state, which is down from 2,378 on Tuesday.
A majority of the cases — 6,569 — have been in Mainers under age 50, while more cases have been reported in women than men, according to the Maine CDC.
As of Tuesday, there have been 836,208 negative test results out of 849,533 overall. Just over 1.5 percent of all tests have come back positive, the most recently available Maine CDC data show.
The coronavirus has hit hardest in Cumberland County, where 3,684 cases have been reported and where the bulk of virus deaths — 71 — have been concentrated. Other cases have been reported in Androscoggin (1,433), Aroostook (116), Franklin (204), Hancock (223), Kennebec (736), Knox (203), Lincoln (149), Oxford (317), Penobscot (756), Piscataquis (40), Sagadahoc (143), Somerset (425), Waldo (222), Washington (187) and York (2,180) counties. Information about where an additional nine cases were reported wasn’t immediately available.
As of Wednesday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 12,598,660 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 259,796 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.