A new milestone in Maine's COVID-19 vaccination effort: 80% of Maine adults have now had at least one dose, according to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
Maine is now one of six states to have reached the 80% mark.
Four states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Vermont — obtained that threshold a bit sooner, but Gov. Mills said in a statement that Maine has also seen a nearly 12% uptick in vaccination rates since the end of July, an increase that coincides with the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant and a rise in coronavirus cases.
Maine is the third best state in the nation for vaccinating all residents — a rate of 64%, although that figure includes children under age 12, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine.
The governor is encouraging unvaccinated Mainers to get their shot, which she says is the best tool to fight the virus and prevent additional mutations.
