Another two Mainers have died as health officials on Thursday reported 241 more coronavirus cases across the state.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 2,605. 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 up from 2,500 on Wednesday.
That marked the highest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases seen here since early February and comes as Maine has seen a sharp decline in virus transmission reverse in recent weeks.
The elevated caseloads have prompted the state’s top public health official, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, to warn this week that a resurgence in virus transmission is possible.
TRACKING THE CORONAVIRUS IN MAINE
Two men in their 80s from Hancock and Piscataquis counties have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 727.
Thursday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 47,832, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from 47,591 on Wednesday.
Of those, 37,042 have been confirmed positive, while 10,790 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.
The new case rate statewide Thursday was 1.80 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 357.38.
Maine’s seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 200.7, up from 193 a day ago, up from 174.6 a week ago and up from 147.6 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, 1,618 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Information about those who are currently hospitalized wasn’t immediately available.
The total statewide hospitalization rate on Thursday was 12.09 patients per 10,000 residents.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (5,051), Aroostook (1,333), Cumberland (13,388), Franklin (951), Hancock (976), Kennebec (4,019), Knox (743), Lincoln (619), Oxford (2,363), Penobscot (4,274), Piscataquis (366), Sagadahoc (934), Somerset (1,305), Waldo (664), Washington (745) and York (10,100) counties. Information about where an additional case was reported wasn’t immediately available.
For a complete breakdown of the county by county data, use the interactive graphic below.
Out of 13,079 COVID-19 tests reported to the Maine CDC in the previous 24 hours, 2.2 percent came back positive. Overall, 1,996,240 tests have been administered and the statewide positivity rate is 2.65 percent.
An additional 11,719 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Thursday, 341,842 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 203,260 have received two doses.
New Hampshire reported 297 new cases on Thursday and no deaths. Vermont reported 59 new cases and two deaths, and Massachusetts reported 1,711 new cases and 44 deaths.
As of Thursday afternoon, the coronavirus had sickened 29,651,206 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 538,799 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. That’s an increase of 48,397 cases and 854 deaths since Wednesday.
Nationwide, 113 million doses of the vaccine have been administered, according to Bloomberg.