As of February 2, 2021, the Maine Department of Health and Human One resident each in Cumberland, Waldo and Franklin counties. [80] Colby College announced that all on-campus classes would end the week of March 12, 2020 and students would move off campus. [37] Nursing homes were also now able to request funds to help respond to the pandemic within their facilities. [11] A lawyer for the officiant at the wedding said the Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford was encouraging its congregants to not wear masks, and the church's school, Sanford Christian Academy, does not require face coverings. Friday saw 103 new [38], On March 30, Maine Governor Janet Mills issued "a Stay Healthy at Home directive that requires people living in Maine to stay at home at all times unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, such as obtaining food, medicine, health care, or other necessary purposes. [84], Students of Bates College were asked to leave campus on March 14, 2020, and the college transitioned to remote work models on March 17, 2020. [92], Unity College began remote instruction on March 30, 2020, but has planned an on-campus commencement ceremony for August 1, 2020. "We estimate that 54% of people in Maine The recommendation from Portland officials comes as Maine reported another 152 cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 70,996. And after nearly 10 weeks of declines, national hospitalizations have also begun to increase. Malaysian students may have to mask up in school again as Covid case rise. In neighboring Vermont, which has the highest vaccination rate of any state with nearly 72% of the population fully vaccinated, COVID-19 cases increased by 50% over the last 14 days. Thats up from a seven-day average of 12,434 one month ago, according to data from the New York Times. "We must all remain vigilant in our daily lives. Hospitalizations: 44 That's "good news," shesaid, and a testament to the relatively high vaccination rate in the state. [47][48] The rent relief program began with $5 million and allowed households to receive a one-time, up to $500 payment in assistance to their landlord. [98] On April 1, 2020, the President of SMCC, Joe Cassidy, made the decision to host a virtual commencement ceremony. Please enter valid email address to continue. Across the U.S., coronavirus case numbers have been rising due to the spread of the delta variant, mostly among the unvaccinated. Experts say a confluence of factors is likely driving the country's recent increases in infections, including the more than 100 million Americans who remain completely unvaccinated, cold weather and relaxed restrictions, the highly transmissible delta variant, and waning vaccine immunity. Apr. [49] This service provides assistance to all who are responding to the pandemic in Maine and helps responders manage stress associated with their jobs. The rolling average of daily cases more than 63 people are in critical care, down one from yesterday. ", "We're stalling at a level of weekly case numbers that are still well above what we saw at the lower periods at the end of June and in early July," Nuzzo said during a briefing last week. New deaths: 0 But when Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an infectious disease physician and associate hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, looked at the same numbers, she was not surprised. Create one. An average of 128 cases per day were reported in Maine in the last week.Cases have decreased by 35 percent from the average two weeks ago.Deaths have Boston, which never lifted its school mask mandate, is now encouraging people to wear masks in indoor public places. However, many experts say warmer weather in the weeks ahead will likely help tamp down cases. [22] Governor Mills also announced an emergency measures package which was approved by the legislature to provide $11 million in state funding for COVID-19 response, expand State and local authorities to allow greater flexibility in virus response, and to provide additional support to impacted workers. [96] The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts postponed all summer 2020 residency programs and will offer online instruction during the summer. But hospitals are dealing with a [98] SMCC will also hold all summer classes online. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is safe to get the COVID and flu vaccines during the same visit. Mills extends Maine income tax filing deadline to July 15", "Maine closes 10 state parks to help prevent spread of COVID-19", "Nursing homes can now request a state reimbursement to cover pandemic costs", "Governor Mills Issues Stay Healthy at Home Mandate | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Gov. Shah has stated he believes that 60-80 percent of new cases in Maine are resulting from the delta variant, which is consistent with findings in other northeastern states. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. Boosters can at least play a supporting role in averting a larger surge this winter," Brownstein said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Although cases fell precipitously between mid-January and mid-March, there has been a slow, persistent increase since then. [33] On March 26, the City of South Portland also announced a similar order beginning March 27 except for permitted activities. The test positivity rate is Mills announced that she would create an Economic Recovery Committee to develop recommendations to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Maine's economy. Cumberland and the other counties remain in the green, or low-risk, category. [46][18], On April 16, Gov. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was unclear how the traffic decrease would affect the Turnpike's finances, though executive director Peter Mills said he would recommend to the Authority's board that they go ahead with a vote on a $28 million contract to widen five miles of the highway. On Thursday there were 44 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Maine, including 18 in critical care and seven on ventilators. "We're taking patients across state lines routinely. With the development of COVID vaccines and treatments, many medical experts were optimistic that cases could increase without an accompanying jumpin hospitalizations. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. [34], On March 25, 2020, Governor Mills signed an executive order which enhanced the health care workforce and telehealth efforts by allowing physicians, physicians assistants, and nurses to obtain relevant licenses to deliver health services remotely and have those remote services be covered by insurance companies. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. [43][44] This order also extended license expiration and renewal dates. Photo: Reuters Malaysia s mask mandate may make a return to schools, as the Health [70] The 90% of students who vacated their residence halls were eligible for tuition rebates on a case-by-case basis. Over the last two weeks, 22 states -- many of them with colder temperatures -- have seen an uptick in daily cases of 10%. ", Even states with high vaccination rates see upticks. [112] On April 12, 2020, NMCC began enrolling students in four free online healthcare career path training programs to address pandemic workforce needs. Experts say the current increase in COVIDcases is being driven by changes in both the virus, and in behavior and policy. [90] On March 13, 2020, Husson University announced that it would move the majority of classes to online formats, with some exceptions for graduate and professional school courses, and on March 20, 2020, the university announced that it would postpone its commencement ceremonies. This issue is not unique to Maine, Judge explained, adding that his colleagues across the country, and in the Northeast, are all still struggling. Success. 2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested, 150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worst, Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to 'shut down the FBI' and replace it with something that sounds a lot like the FBI, Sanders: Biden could win in a landslide, Vikings rookie QB: What to expect from Jaren Hall, Sayre pulls off stunning semis rally and rolls on to win All A Classic state baseball finals. Friday saw 103 new cases of COVID-19, the highest single-day increase in Maine since the beginning of the pandemic. [117], The Maine Turnpike Authority said it was paying all of its employees two weeks of administrative leave, and workers who continued to report to work would still be given it, effectively doubling their pay. Here are five possible explanations: Protocol fatigue According to experts at the John Hopkins Medicine, human behaviour is the major factor for the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Staff Writer Kevin Miller contributed to this report. What is clear,according to MGH's Lemieux,is that it has the ability to drive up cases. Since the onset of the pandemic, LifeFlight of Maine, which provides critical care transport across the state, has not seen a decline in the steady stream of patients in need of urgent care. [27], On March 19, the City of Bangor announced that the Community Connector bus service would begin only allowing people to enter from the rear of the bus to encourage social distancing beginning on March 20. The first Omicron wave has left us numb to the continuing presence of the virus. Back on October 10, I listed for Forbes eight reasons why the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic could get worse in the U.S. in the late Fall and Winter. Covid cases are rising again as the Bay Area enters a fifth swell of the pandemic, yet there are no plans to return to mask mandates or other mitigation measures, health officials say. "COVID is not taking the winter off.". [114], The Maine Community College System hosted fall classes online or in person, or a combination of both formats. The seven-day average for case counts is over three times higher than it was in March. Malaysian students may have to mask up in school again as Covid case rise. The United States is averaging 119,888 new Covid-19 cases each day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as of Wednesday. I dont know the answer to it yet.. The town of South Thomaston said Wednesday it would pay $200 to residents or others who frequent the town for getting vaccinated. Mills orders quarantine restrictions on travelers arriving in Maine", "Gov. Millions are travelling during the five-day Labour Day holiday. Chris Sununu warned that coronavirus cases are rising in the state, and the increase could continue. Don't have a commenting profile? Login. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. "Lowering temperatures, increased population mixing, reduced masking, fully open schools and the more contagious delta variant all contribute to the increases in cases and hospitalizations in many parts of the country. Use the form below to reset your password. On March 29 the U.S. CDC expanded eligibility for a second booster shot to people age 50 and over, especially those 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions. Maine's seven-day rolling average of new cases stood at 207 on Monday after rising above 200 last week for the first time in more He surmises that vacation travel and get-togethers gave the virus an opportunity to spread. Mills's administration began a new volunteer phone support service for health care workers and first responders called the FrontLine WarmLine. [91] On March 15, 2020, in-person instruction was suspended at Thomas College, courses transitioned to online formats, and it was announced that campus residences were closing on March 18, 2020. In this file photo taken on Nov. 05, 2021, a 7 year-old child receives their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the Beaumont Health offices in Southfield, Mich. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [16], On March 15, 2020, Governor Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency which allows the governor to establish emergency reserves of products, allows the state to access federal funding to combat the outbreak, and allows for suspension of certain laws. Even if the Maine CDC adopted a different system, however, it would still likely be based on the U.S. CDCs assessments, data and risk calibrations, Shah said. [105][106], On March 12, 2020, Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) announced a spring break extension. A decision on waiving cash tolls would be made based on guidance from government health officials. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Cases are typically updated weekly and are less consistently reported than earlier in the pandemic because of a lack of widespread testing. Covid-19 cases are rising in China but economic impact seen as limited Percentage of people testing positive rose to 1.7 per cent on April 20 up from 0.7 per cent three weeks earlier Maine had reported 75 cases of the delta variant as of July 30, though that is likely an undercount as genomic sequencing tests that identify variants are not performed for every case. [18], On March 24, 2020, Governor Mills ordered all non-essential businesses to close their physical locations and cease in-person contact and urged all essential businesses to limit the number of individuals in stores at any given time. [35], On March 26, 2020, Governor Mills extended the deadline for state income tax payments from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. [111], Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) discontinued face-to-face classroom instruction on March 18, 2020, and also canceled their spring 2020 commencement ceremony. On average, the U.S. is reporting approximately 75,000 new COVID-19 cases each day, according to federal data, still significantly lower than the country's most recent surge over the summer, but higher than at any point last spring. At this time, booster shots are recommended for anyone over the age of 18 who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. [113] Washington County Community College moved all their courses online as of March 17, 2020. [30] She wrote a letter to President Donald Trump to request financial assistance, subsidies, operating loans, or other measures to support the seafood industry, fishermen, and aquaculture. [107] KVCC updated students on the movement to online course formats on March 18, 2020, and announced on March 31, 2020, that commencement plans would be modified. [83] On March 26, 2020, there were five total members of the Colby College community, including at least two students, who had tested positive for the virus. [123], Boardings at the Portland International Jetport dropped by 70 percent compared to the prior year for the week ending March 21.[116]. While the numbers are far from their peak at the height of the omicron wave, some experts had hoped the spring would offer a reprieve from the coronavirus. [75], On March 16, 2020, Maine Maritime Academy announced that it would discontinue on-campus instruction and move to remote instruction. The low-risk designation indicates the level of transmission and rate of hospitalizations are not expected to strain local hospitals.

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