Maine CDC reports 170 new cases of coronavirus, with no more deaths

The Maine Disease Control and Prevention Center on Sunday reported 170 cases of the new coronavirus and no additional deaths, as Mainers had been waiting for immunity to the vaccine for the year since the pandemic closed the state.

Schools closed suddenly, with water bottles and homework left in their desks. The sports seasons have been canceled. The film sets stopped abruptly. A year ago, on Friday, everything started to close when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Maine. For this sad birthday, Mainers spoke to the Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram about his experiences in the days when the world has suddenly changed.

Maine’s cumulative COVID-19 cases increased to 47,025 on Sunday. Of these, 36,546 were confirmed by tests and 10,479 are considered probable cases of COVID-19. The seven-day average of new daily cases was 178.1.

Seven hundred and twenty-four people have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in Maine.

Some people’s passions were totally suspended – a college basketball coach lamented “the opportunity that was stolen from those girls” on her pandemic year team – but others were forced to adapt and continue. Teachers continued to teach and social workers continued to help others.

For many older residents, the past year has been one of extreme isolation. The virus is more deadly to elderly people, the best recipe being to stay at home, away from the grandchildren and social clubs that gave life color.

Noella Rocheleau, born on Christmas Day in 1929, has never met three of her four older brothers; they died in the 1918 flu pandemic. Last year, when the coronavirus struck, she lived on 75 State Street, an independent and assisted institution in Portland. She spent the past year in her third-floor apartment, in almost complete isolation.

“Sometimes it is difficult to swallow, but they have 150 people here, so they have to take care of us,” she said. “We can’t all do what we want. You are like a family. If someone is sick, don’t yell, yell, or sing that day. “

Meanwhile, Mainers is eager to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines. Following federal guidance, the state will expand eligibility for all adults starting May 1.

Maine is now vaccinating people aged 60 and over, as well as teachers and educational staff, but the Biden government last week instructed states to open their doors even further, as it promised to dramatically increase the supply of vaccine.

Prior to the White House directive, Maine planned to offer injections for people 40 and older starting May 1.

On Sunday morning, Maine had given 320,885 people their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 187,495 had been fully vaccinated. Of the Maine population of 1.34 million, 23.87% have already received the first dose, according to Maine CDC statistics.

County by county until Sunday, there were 4,981 cases of coronavirus in Androscoggin, 1,314 in Aroostook, 13,212 in Cumberland, 937 in Franklin, 959 in Hancock, 3,905 in Kennebec, 697 in Knox, 607 in Lincoln, 2,324 in Oxford, 4,199 in Penobscot, 356 in Piscataquis, 911 in Sagadahoc, 1,294 in Somerset, 636 in Waldo, 737 in Washington and 9,956 in York.

By age, 15.6 percent of patients were under 20, while 18.1 percent were in their 20s, 14.4 percent were in their 30s, 13.2 percent in their 40s, 15 , 3 percent in their 50s, 11.6 percent in their 60s, 6.4 percent were in their 70s and 5.4 percent were 80 or older.

Of the 78 patients with COVID-19 in hospitals in Maine on Sunday, 23 were in intensive care and nine were on ventilators. The state had 108 beds of intensive care units available out of a total of 389, and 243 ventilators available from 319. There were also 446 alternative ventilators.

Worldwide, on Sunday night, there were 119.7 million known cases of COVID-19 and 2.65 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States had 29.4 million cases and 534,810 deaths.

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