Another three Mainers have died as health officials on Wednesday reported 104 more coronavirus cases across the state.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 2,338. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. That’s down from 2,535 on Tuesday.
It marked a slight uptick from Tuesday’s three-month low of 91 new cases, but continues a trending decline in confirmed virus transmission after a monthslong surge. Even as cases decline, state health officials have warned about more infectious virus variants arriving in the state.
On Tuesday, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah said the state recorded its second case of a more contagious variant from the United Kingdom. That case involved a York County resident who contracted the virus after traveling domestically. The first case, detected earlier this month, involved a Franklin County resident who had spent time abroad.
TRACKING THE CORONAVIRUS IN MAINE
Two women and a man in their 80s from Cumberland County have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 654.
Wednesday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 42,872, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from 42,768 on Tuesday.
Of those, 34,120 have been confirmed positive, while 8,752 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.
The new case rate statewide Wednesday was 0.78 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 320.32.
Maine’s seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 144.6, down from 165.4 a day ago, down from 234.4 a week ago and down from 608.9 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers in their 20s, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men. For a complete breakdown of the age and sex demographics of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, use the interactive graphic below.
So far, 1,490 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 91 Mainers are currently hospitalized, with 24 in critical care and nine on ventilators. Out of 394 critical care beds, 108 are currently available. Meanwhile, 237 out of 319 ventilators are available. Currently, 446 alternative ventilators are available.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (4,643), Aroostook (1,244), Cumberland (12,039), Franklin (878), Hancock (861), Kennebec (3,497), Knox (616), Lincoln (551), Oxford (2,129), Penobscot (3,704), Piscataquis (242), Sagadahoc (582), Somerset (1,219), Waldo (567), Washington (696) and York (9,134) counties.
For a complete breakdown of the county by county data, use the interactive graphic below.
Overall, 1,723,443 tests have been administered and the statewide positivity rate is 2.95 percent.
An additional 3,573 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Wednesday, 180,465 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 75,384 have received two doses.
New Hampshire reported 198 new cases on Wednesday and one death. Vermont reported 55 new cases and one death, and Massachusetts reported 1,226 new cases and 50 deaths.
As of Wednesday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 27,765,267 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 488,432 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.