Another 30 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Maine since Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak's onset to 2,667. But the death tally remains at 100 so far.That's according to Maine Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Nirav Shah, who reviewed the newly released COVID-19 figures at a media briefing Thursday in Augusta.
Shah said the percentage of positive cases in Maine continues to drop below 5 percent, which indicatesthat the state is performing enough tests and catching cases early enough to reduce the spread to other people. Even so, he said the CDC is keeping an eye on other New England states.
"Unfortunately, just about every one of our neighbors, perhaps save for Vermont, has a higher case rate than we do. Some are a little higher, like New Hampshire. Others are much significantly higher. And if they start trending back upward, that's going to be a signal for us to rethink things," Shah said.
Shah said another 39 people have recovered from the illness since Wednesday, for a total of 2,062 recoveries. That leaves 505 active cases, down from 514 Tuesday.
A cumulative total of 308 people have been hospitalized sometime during the course of their illness, Shah said. Twenty-nine are currently hospitalized, 12 in intensive care, and five are on ventilators.
Shah said state health officials continue to track some outbreaks, including one at Procter and Gamble's Tambrands facility in Auburn, where he said another six cases have been found, bringing the total to 13. Shah said cases turned up in one staff member and five contrators who visited the facility.
At Abbott Labs, the Scarborough company that manufactures tests for the disease and where five cases have turned up since the end of May, in addition to 23 previous cases, Shah said officials continue to work with the company on health and safety issues.
He said officials at Nichols manufacturing in Portland, where seven cases have been diagnosed, are collecting samples from all staff to send to the state lab in Augusta for testing.
Shah said Maine health officials are also looking for spikes in COVID-19 cases in light of recent rallies across the state where large numbers of people have gathered to protest police brutality. He said anyone who recently attended a large gathering and is not feeling well should stay inside and "get yourself tested."
To get tested, Shah said those who suspect they have COVID-19 can call their primary care doctor, or download a standing order for a test from the state's CDC website, and contact a testing site.
Shah said Maine has been talking with leaders in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia about border issues. No decisions have been made, Shah said, but he said caseloads have been relatively low in both of those provinces, compared with the caseload in Quebec.
Steve Mistler contributed to this report.
Updated 4:02 p.m., June 11, 2020.
