In what’s become a grim routine in recent days, Maine saw COVID-19 hospitalizations climb again to a new record high on Thursday.
There are now 327 Mainers afflicted with COVID-19 at hospitals across the state, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from the previous record of 314, set on Wednesday.
Of those, a record 108 Mainers are in critical care, while another 39 are on ventilators. That’s a small fall from Wednesday and Tuesday and still shy of the high mark of 41 set on Nov. 1.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been steadily climbing since early October, following a sharp decline in September. That growth has accelerated over the past several days, pushing some hospitals to capacity.
Nirav Shah, the director of the Maine CDC, said Tuesday that COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to be driven by the unvaccinated, who account for 60 percent to 70 percent of people being treated.