The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23 new deaths on Tuesday among individuals with COVID-19, as well as 417 additional cases of the viral disease.
As Maine enters the eleventh month of the global pandemic, the state has experienced a downward trend in new cases reported daily compared to a month ago, although new infections are still exponentially higher than during the summer. However, Tuesday’s 23 deaths were one of the highest reported totals so far.
Not all of these deaths occurred in the past few days. As was the case on other days with unusually large numbers of deaths in Maine, the vast majority of deaths reported on Tuesday – 21 out of 23 – occurred in the past few weeks, but were linked to COVID-19 by the Maine CDC team during a review of vital records.
However, more than 65% of Maine’s 618 deaths have occurred since Thanksgiving, and more than 85% of those who died after contracting COVID in Maine were 70 or older.
The seven-day continuous average of new cases was 323 on Tuesday, down from 493 daily cases in the week ending January 25. Maine’s highest seven-day average of 626 cases came on January 15 at a time when the state was going through a rope. days with more than 800 cases, according to data from the Maine CDC.
To date, there have been a total of 39,960 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 since March, with 70 percent of cases occurring since December 1.
Meanwhile, vaccinations against COVID-19 continue to expand, albeit at a slower pace than desired due to national dose shortages. Tuesday’s blizzard also prompted the cancellation of many vaccination clinics in the state.
On Tuesday morning, healthcare providers administered 117,613 first doses to individuals in Maine, as well as 40,458 second doses with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. This means that 8.7% of the state’s population received the first dose and 3% the second. Tuesday’s total was 4,090 doses more than the 153,981 doses (first and second doses) reported by the Maine CDC on Monday. The highest number of injections administered in a single day was 8,827 last Thursday.
Nurse Jess Addy, on the right, administered a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week to Connie Winship, 72, of Waterville, at a clinic set up by Northern Light Inland Hospital at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield. Picture of Northern Light Inland Hospital
The current phase of the vaccination campaign is mainly focused on Maine residents aged 70 and over due to the disproportionate risks the virus poses to older individuals – a population of more than 190,000 in Maine, which is the oldest state in the country. Officials then hope to expand the vaccine’s eligibility for Mainers between the ages of 65 and 69, as well as adults of all ages who have chronic medical conditions that put them at high risk for serious illness or death from COVID-19.
The first phase of vaccination, which is nearing its end, was focused on the inoculation of health professionals, public security officials, those involved with the COVID-19 response, as well as residents and employees of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. .
Dr. Nirav Shah, director of Maine CDC, is scheduled to conduct a virtual briefing on the COVID-19 situation at 2:00 pm.
This story will be updated.
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