[110] On March 26, 2021, they announced a return to in person and on campus learning in the fall semester for some classes. 22State health officials reported 178 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday but no additional deaths, as Maine prepares to enter the next inoculation phase ahead of anticipated increases in vaccine supplies. Over the last two weeks, 22 states -- many of them with colder temperatures -- have seen an uptick in daily Covid-19 cases are rising in China but economic impact seen as limited Percentage of people testing positive rose to 1.7 per cent on April 20 up from 0.7 per cent three weeks earlier Covid-19 cases are rising in China but economic impact seen as limited Percentage of people testing positive rose to 1.7 per cent on April 20 up from 0.7 per cent three weeks earlier [52] The plan had four stages, with stage one slated to begin on May 1. Mills issued a Stay Safer at Home Executive Order, which was set to be in effect until May 31, 2020. New Covid-19 Cases Rising In 22 States. More Mainers are being advised to wear masks indoors as county-level COVID-19 transmission rates rise, with Portland officials issuing a recommendation Thursday that everyone mask-up indoors regardless of vaccination status. [40] Under this order, travelers were required to quarantine upon arrival regardless of their state of residency. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Mills announced a plan to gradually restart Maine's economy. Judge explained that they are frequently flying patients out of state, at times, as far away as Connecticut or New York, depending on bed availability. 29 people are on ventilators, up two from yesterday. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. [69] The University of Maine system announced that all courses would be administered via remote learning starting March 25, 2020, with the Law School resuming classes on March 23, 2020. Im committed to protecting the health of our staff as well as the public we serve, and as such we will continue to monitor public health recommendations and requirements and make sure were doing whats in the best interest of our community, Jennings said in the citys release. [49] This service provides assistance to all who are responding to the pandemic in Maine and helps responders manage stress associated with their jobs. Further, according to the report, 67% of hospitalizations, over the last seven days, are among the unvaccinated. You can try, How to get the most out of your mask in a mask-optional world. The new restrictions take effect Wednesday. COVID-19 cases on the rise in nearly 2 dozen states. Mills's administration began a new volunteer phone support service for health care workers and first responders called the FrontLine WarmLine. [49][50] This service is a collaborative effort between the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Department of Public Safety's Emergency Medical Services, the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians, The Opportunity Alliance, The Maine Psychological Association, and the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Lets check 10,112 fresh Covid cases in India. There is not an outbreak that is driving it and thus, because theres not an outbreak, it is community transmission, Shah said. "We're taking patients across state lines routinely. Cattle await their feed at a farm in Maine. [70] Commencement ceremonies across the university system originally scheduled for May 9, 2020 were postponed, and each individual university will designate a postponement date. [25] She also convened a conference call with Senator Susan Collins, Senator Angus King, Representative Chellie Pingree, and Representative Jared Golden to discuss the State response to the pandemic. [90] On March 13, 2020, Husson University announced that it would move the majority of classes to online formats, with some exceptions for graduate and professional school courses, and on March 20, 2020, the university announced that it would postpone its commencement ceremonies. [75], On March 16, 2020, Maine Maritime Academy announced that it would discontinue on-campus instruction and move to remote instruction. [100], Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) announced an extended spring break on March 13, 2020. "We won't have transmission when people are outdoors. "More than 40% of the country remains unvaccinated. Mills signs order preventing evictions amid coronavirus", "Mills administration announces $11 million in funds to support essential workers and child care providers amid COVID-19", "Governor Mills Presents Safe, Gradual Plan to Restart Maine's Economy | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Governor Mills Extends Maine's Stay At Home Order | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Maine governor extends stay-at-home order through May, details plan for reopening state - The Boston Globe", "Maine closing 10 state parks and beaches to stem tide of coronavirus", "Baxter State Park shuts down camping and traffic", "Acadia National Park shutting down amid coronavirus outbreak", "Governor Mills Convenes Expert Committee to Advise on State's Economic Recovery | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Governor Mills convening Economic Recovery Committee", "Maine Moves Toward Fully Reopening After Statewide COVID-19 Closures", "Emergency Ordinance to Allow Biddeford Retailers and Restaurants to Utilize Public Space", "Mills extends Civil State of Emergency through July 10 amid coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic", "To Fight COVID-19, Governor Mills Strengthens Enforcement of Face Covering Requirement as Maine Reopens | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Governor Mills Updates Moving Maine Forward Plan, Lifts Restrictions | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Governor Mills Welcomes End of State of Civil Emergency | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Maine DHHS to receive $6.5 million to 'fight COVID-19 and future pandemics', "Mills Administration, Public Higher Education Systems Coordinating Response to COVID-19 | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Maine colleges and universities receive $41 million in federal coronavirus aid", "Universities resume classes March 25, commit to room and board adjustments and rebates for residential students", "Universities Planning for Alternative Commencement Celebrations During the COVID-19 Pandemic", "UMaine System offers in-state tuition to students displaced by COVID-19", "98.5% of University of Maine System Students Finish Spring Semester", "UMaine System plans to welcome students to campus Fall 2020", "UMaine System to expedite $2.56 million in IT upgrades this summer in 180 classrooms", "3/16/20 | Message from the President - Campus Safety - Maine Maritime Academy", "Coronavirus - Campus Safety - Maine Maritime Academy", "Bowdoin College students will not return from spring break due to coronavirus concerns", "Another coronavirus case confirmed at Bowdoin College", "Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 Updates | Emergency Preparedness and Response | University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online", "Colby College announces on-campus classes will end this week; students to leave campus for remote learning", "Colby College staff member tests positive for coronavirus", "Colby College in Waterville reports 5 cases of coronavirus, including at least 2 students", "Bates College has lost up to $2 million due to COVID-19", "Implementations to Prepare for the Coronavirus (March 12 Update)", "Maine College of Art Spring '20 Update (March 29, 2020)", "Updates for our community on the Coronavirus Thomas College", "Communications from the President - COVID-19", "March 13, 2020 Update from President Bissell", "ADN applications reopened until June 1, 2020", "SMCC to offer online summer courses, cancels in-person classes due to COVID-19", "SMCC offers workforce training programs for people affected by COVID-19", "March 13th COVID-19 Campus Update - EMCC", "YCCC Announces '21 Promise Program and Future Campus Initiatives", "YCCC Announces Plans to Return to In-Person/On-Campus Classes This Fall", "Plummeting Maine Turnpike traffic a 'proxy for economic collapse", "Maine DOT planning more daytime construction on I-295 in Portland amid decreased traffic due to coronavirus, COVID-19", "Turnpike authority doubles pay to keep tollbooth workers on the job", "Island Explorer shuttle bus postponing service amid coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic", "Island Explorer will run in 2021 with fewer routes, 12 people per bus", "Downeaster to suspend service temporarily starting Monday", "Downeaster Train Service Suspended After Daily Ridership Falls To 20 Passengers", "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Updates and Information", Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement, neurological, psychological and other mental health outcomes, Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing, Zhongyianke BiotechLiaoning Maokangyuan Biotech, Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, Sancaktepe Prof. Dr. Feriha z Emergency Hospital, Yeilky Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Acceleration Task Force, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country subdivision, World map by countries: confirmed per capita, Morocco (including occupied Western Sahara), Biden administration COVID-19 action plan, House Select Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, U.S. [30] She wrote a letter to President Donald Trump to request financial assistance, subsidies, operating loans, or other measures to support the seafood industry, fishermen, and aquaculture. Don't have a commenting profile? New deaths: 0 Cases are typically updated weekly and are less consistently reported than earlier in the pandemic because of a lack of widespread testing. 4:49 p.m. YouTube wants to forget 2020 as much as the rest of us . The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, which also had previously said it would wait for full FDA approval before moving ahead with a vaccine requirement, announced Thursday all faculty, staff and students who plan to be on campus this academic year must be vaccinated. Passengers using walkers and wheelchairs were allowed to board from the front of the bus. [65], On November 10, 2021, The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced it would be receiving 6.5 million in funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases program to combat COVID-19. Still, Andujar Vazquez points out the majority of COVID patients who are currently hospitalized in Massachusetts roughly 67% are not there primarily for a COVID-related illness. Mills on July 8, issued an Executive Order requiring large businesses, including retail establishments in Maine to enforce the State's face covering requirement. Residents were advised to continue remote work if able, were prohibited to gather in groups of more than 10 people, and were subject to 14 day quarantines upon entry into the state. The test positivity rate is Of the 61 samples that were sequenced in July, 60.7 percent were identified as the delta variant. Includes 1 hospitalized case from an unknown county. Maine had reported 75 cases of the delta variant as of July 30, though that is likely an undercount as genomic sequencing tests that identify variants are not performed for every case. Andrew Cuomo discouraged travel to and from Massachusetts, but stopped short of putting Massachusett's on the state's advisory list. "Winter is coming," California Gov. Apr. COVID-19 cases top over 200,000 in Maine after vital records review, NASA confirms first radar-observed meteor fall seen in Maine, Masks to no longer be required at MaineHealth facilities. There are 54 critical care beds available in the state. "It's likely it's a holiday effect," said Horsburgh, noting that the surge followed several major religious holidays and spring breaks for schools and colleges. On average, the U.S. is reporting approximately 75,000 new COVID-19 cases each day, according to federal data, still significantly lower than the country's most recent surge over the summer, but higher than at any point last spring. Mills extends Maine income tax filing deadline to July 15", "Maine closes 10 state parks to help prevent spread of COVID-19", "Nursing homes can now request a state reimbursement to cover pandemic costs", "Governor Mills Issues Stay Healthy at Home Mandate | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills", "Gov. [32], On March 24, the City of Portland announced that the manager has signed a stay-at-home order beginning on March 25 for all non-essential businesses and services in Portland, with a potential end date on April 27. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. [6] On April 29, 8 employees working at a local Tyson Foods meat packaging plant in Portland, Maine tested positive for COVID-19 prompting talks about halting the plant's production. [70] The 90% of students who vacated their residence halls were eligible for tuition rebates on a case-by-case basis. [92], Unity College began remote instruction on March 30, 2020, but has planned an on-campus commencement ceremony for August 1, 2020. At Portland Stage, Executive and Artistic Director Anita Stewart said they have adjusted protocols to have all audience members wear masks when attending shows in order to meet the U.S. CDC recommendation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is safe to get the COVID and flu vaccines during the same visit. Total deaths: 900 16As the BA.2 omicron subvariant of COVID-19 drives up infections in the Northeast, Maine reported 437 new cases on Saturday. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. [17] Governor Mills recommended halting classroom instruction in Maine and stopping all gatherings of more than 50 people, or more than 10 people if senior citizens were involved in the gathering. The seven-day average for case counts is over three times higher than it was in March. CONCORD, N.H. (CBS/AP) Maine is reinstating restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 amid a resurgence of the virus, Gov. This decrease was due almost exclusively to declines in passenger cars using the road, as commercial traffic only declined 1 percent. In order to avoid confusion, Stewart said the theater is planning to stick with a masked audience as long as transmission levels remain elevated in Cumberland County and until it is clear the county is back in a sustained period of low transmission. [118] Traffic counts had decreased by 20 percent in the immediate aftermath of the stay at home order, with weekend traffic falling 50 percent. Actual case numbers are probably higher. Eight counties are listed as having substantial or high transmission rates and the city of Portland is recommending that everyone wears a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. [80] On March 22, 2020, The University of New England announced that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19 and on March 24, 2020, the university announced that it would postpone its commencement ceremonies. County where individuals with a positive case reside. Maine is also reducing indoor capacity limits from 100 to 50, Mills said. WebThe spread of new coronavirus variants, increased travel and pandemic fatigue are spurring a new rise in Covid-19 cases in Maine and putting more younger people in the hospital, Universities, including MIT, have also strongly recommended masking. [33] On March 26, the City of South Portland also announced a similar order beginning March 27 except for permitted activities. And the level of COVID found in wastewater from the Boston area is rising, which experts say indicates case counts will likely continue to climb for the next week or two, if not longer. On March 29 the U.S. CDC expanded eligibility for a second booster shot to people age 50 and over, especially those 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions. This was the case especially in urban areas, though MDOT did not release specific figures as they were incomplete. Shah has stated he believes that 60-80 percent of new cases in Maine are resulting from the delta variant, which is consistent with findings in other northeastern states. [98] On April 1, 2020, the President of SMCC, Joe Cassidy, made the decision to host a virtual commencement ceremony. The order also required residents of Maine to wear cloth face coverings in public places where physical distancing could not be achieved, such as within retail stores and taking public transportation. Mokdad compared Maine and Florida using data from the institute, which projects COVID-19 cases around the country. [16], On March 15, 2020, Governor Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency which allows the governor to establish emergency reserves of products, allows the state to access federal funding to combat the outbreak, and allows for suspension of certain laws. It was unclear how the traffic decrease would affect the Turnpike's finances, though executive director Peter Mills said he would recommend to the Authority's board that they go ahead with a vote on a $28 million contract to widen five miles of the highway. [46][18], On April 16, Gov. [14], On March 2, 2020, Governor Janet Mills convened a coronavirus response team, led by Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, to coordinate state efforts against the virus. In Portland, the proposed $261 million budget includes a 6.1% tax increase. [18], On March 23, 2020, Governor Mills passed an executive order that extended expiration dates and waived fees for driver's licenses and other related motor vehicle licenses until 30 days past the state of emergency. "We know by now that we expect fluctuations in cases," said Andujar Vazquez. [27], On March 19, the City of Bangor announced that the Community Connector bus service would begin only allowing people to enter from the rear of the bus to encourage social distancing beginning on March 20. Malaysian students may have to mask up in school again as Covid case rise. Similarly, 14 states -- Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin -- have seen an increase of about 10% or more in hospital admissions over the last week. [57], On May 6, 2020, Gov. Already registered? Despite states across the Northeast boasting high vaccination rates, with several jurisdictions reporting full vaccination rates above 70%, several states are struggling through their worst surge yet. The number of people testing positive for Covid in the UK has been rising in recent days to more than 50,000 cases in one day.