Health

COVID-19 hospitalizations spike again in Maine, topping 200 on Monday

Maine Public | By Patty Wight,

Published October 18, 2021 at 3:03 PM EDT

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FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2020, file photo, a health care worker wears personal protective equipment as she speaks to a patient at a mobile testing location for COVID-19 in Auburn, Maine. Doctors and nurses around the U.S. are becoming exhausted and demoralized as they struggle to cope with a record-breaking surge of COVID-19 patients that is swamping hospitals and prompting governors to clamp back down to contain the virus.

COVID-19 hospitalizations are up again in Maine. The state is reporting 201 on Monday, which is an increase of 35 since Friday.

In recent weeks, hospitalizations have dropped as low as 152 on Oct. 7. The number of hospitalizations in the state reached 235 in late September, which was the highest point since the pandemic began.

A spokesperson says there's no outbreak or single incident driving the increase. The majority of the people hospitalized in Maine and in critical are are unvaccinated. Currently 68 COVID-19 patients are in critical care, and 31 are on ventilators.

The state CDC will update case numbers on Tuesday. The state most recently reported 542 additional COVID-19 Cases Saturday, Oct. 16. Maine is currently averaging about 400 new cases a day, which is down from a high of more than 600 in early October.