Average daily case numbers of COVID-19 in Maine are declining, as are hospitalizations. Maine's positivity rate for COVID-19 stands at 1.9%. State CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said that's an encouraging sign.
"This is a reflection of what appears to be, at least epidemiologically, lower levels of COVID-19 that are circulating in the state thanks in part due to the high rate of vaccinations that we've seen across the state," Shah said Wednesday during the Maine CDC Covid-19 weekly briefing.
Shah said more than half of the entire state population has received a final dose of the vaccine.
But Shah says there are still a lot of people in the hospital. As of Wednesday, 118 people were receiving inpatient care, with 43 in critical care and 20 on ventilators.
"But here's what's more concerning about that. A large measure of them are unvaccinated," Shah said. "At a number of different hospitals in the state, five out of five of their COVID patients were unvaccinated, or 12 out of 12 of their COVID patients were unvaccinated."
Shah said people who are vaccinated will be protected - and can feel safe indoors around those who are unvaccinated.