Maine's death toll from the COVID-19 outbreak grew by four overnight to 24, as the number of known cases continued to rise. According to new figures posted on the Maine Center for Disease Control website, Maine has now had a total of 770 cases of the coronavirus, an increase of 32 since Tuesday.The largest share of those 32 cases - 12 - occurred in Kennebec County. So far, two-thirds of the cases in Maine overall, and 18 of the deaths, have occurred in Cumberland and York counties, but there are now 93 known cases and three deaths in Kennebec County, and dozens of cases in Androscoggin and Penobscot counties. Health care workers account for 166 Maine cases, state health officials say.
Piscataquis remains the only Maine county with no known cases.
Since the pandemic began, 136 people have had to be hospitalized and 305 have recovered.
State officials were scheduled to brief the media on the new information Wednesday at 2 p.m., but the briefing has been delayed by an explosion that occurred at the former Verso Paper mill in Jay. That briefing has been rescheduled for 4:45 p.m.
Originally published April 15, 2020 at 12:15 p.m. ET.