Twenty new cases of COVID-19 have occurred in Maine in the past 24 hours, for a total of 1,205 since the pandemic began, and at least five additional cases identified Monday afternoon that will be added into Tuesday's total. No new deaths were reported. That's according to Maine CDC Director, Dr. Nirav Shah. Of the 1,205 cases, 1,136 are confirmed by a positive lab diagnosis, and 69 are considered probable — for example, among close family members, Shah said.
On Sunday, state health officials reported a total of 1,185 cases of the new coronavirus over the course of the pandemic, but did not break that total down into confirmed and probable cases. Shah said health officials have been separating the information for a while, but "we've just started now presenting those numbers more publicly."
Of Maine's total cases, 266 have occurred among health care workers, and around 300 at long-term and assisted care facilities, and homeless shelters. "Our focus continues to remain on long-term and assisted living facilities" and health care workers, Shah said.
Shah confirmed that licensed nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state are slated to receive shipments of personal protective equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including masks, gowns and other protective gear.
He says all 93 licensed facilities are expected to get deliveries.
“Certainly we know based on the outbreaks that we’ve been dealing with, as well as conversations we’ve had with long-term care facilities, that this PPE that they will all be receiving will be really vital to our efforts,” Shah says.
He says shipments are expected for sometime in May and June, and each one is designed to supplement existing supplies and last seven days.
Among the confirmed cases are five new ones identified Monday afternoon at the Tyson Foods facility in Portland, and not included in the total of 1,205 cases reported. That's in addition to 20 cases already found at the facility. Another 300 or so additional tests on Tyson workers are still pending, Shah said.
Shah said the state is also investigating a case of COVID-19 at the Wellness Center in Lewiston. He said only one case has been identified there, so it's currently not considered an "outbreak." But Shah said state health officials are investigating the case and might conduct universal testing at the center.
Overall in Maine, some 720 people have recovered from the virus, an increase of 14 recoveries since Sunday, and a total of 57 have died.
One-hundred-eighty-six Mainers have been hospitalized since the pandemic began, and 37 remain hospitalized. Of those, 18 are in critical care, and 11 of them are on ventilators.
Originally published May 4, 2020 at 12:57 p.m. ET.
Updated May 4, 2020 at 3:47 p.m. ET.
