Maine's tally of COVID-19 cases has hit a new milestone, exceeding 5,000 cases for the first time. That's according to new figures the Maine Center for Disease Control posted Friday.They show that the number of cases of the disease diagnosed in Maine has now reached 5,005, a jump of 43 overnight. The number of deaths remained unchanged at 138.
Most of the new cases were reported in the counties of Oxford, Androscoggin and York. Health officials are following outbreaks in all three counties, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said Thursday at a briefing on the virus.
The state is reporting a total of 4,335 recoveries as of Friday, an increase of 18 since Thursday. That leaves 532 active cases that the state is tracking, an increase of 25 overnight.
Hospitalizations remain low. Since the pandemic's onset, a total of 437 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point, up by one since Thursday. The CDC has not yet updated current numbers, but as of Thursday, 10 people with COVID-19 were in the hospital, five of them in intensive care. No ventilators were in use.
The next Maine CDC coronavirus briefing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, September 22.
