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More contagious omicron subvariant on the rise in Maine, data suggest

Jodi Philippon prepares a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination at a COVID-19 clinic at the Augusta Armory, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Augusta, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP
Jodi Philippon prepares a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination at a COVID-19 clinic at the Augusta Armory, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Augusta, Maine.

The number of Mainers hospitalized with COVID-19 has been hovering under 100 for almost two weeks, after falling significantly since earlier in the year.

It is 97 on Thursday, down one from yesterday. Sixteen patients are receiving critical care and four are on ventilators.

The Maine CDC says one additional person has died with COVID. It's reporting 206 new cases of the disease today.

Data from the state and other groups suggest that the more contagious omicron subvariant is becoming more common in Maine.

Walgreens has found the BA.2 subvariant in about half of the Maine cases it has sampled on some recent days.

The Maine CDC advises that the best protection against all variants is being up-to-date on COVID vaccinations and boosters.