Maine's streak of low daily COVID-19 case numbers continues - Press Herald

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Maine health officials reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday but no additional deaths, as the state continues to be spared from the kind of increases other states are enduring

Over the last 10 days, the average daily number of new cases has been 18, down from an average of 32 over the previous 10-day period. Hospitalizations have been trending downward, as well — just 13 were hospitalized as of Thursday. No additional deaths were reported, which means the state’s total since the pandemic hit remains at 114.

Traci Hodges, left, Tracy Lambert and David Daigle clean the concessions counter at Smitty’s Cinemas in Windham in preparation for its recent re-opening. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Since mid-March, Maine has tracked 3,598 confirmed or probable cases. The number of active cases now stands at at 390, which is up slightly from Wednesday.

The state has kept its numbers low even as more people are being tested, which is encouraging. This week, Gov. Janet Mills said Maine would soon have 18 “swab-and-send” testing sites up and running across the state to further expand capacity. So far, Maine has conducted more than 130,000 COVID-19 tests, which is equivalent to about 10 percent of the state’s population.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Nirav Shah is scheduled to brief the media at 2 p.m. to provide additional information.

Maine’s low case numbers are a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy national picture. Cases have spiked in a majority of states over the last couple weeks and some are seeing record numbers. Florida, for instance, recorded 10,181 new cases on Wednesday alone, nearly three times Maine’s total since the pandemic began.

Some states have reinstated restrictions that had been lifted in an effort to reopen the economy and calls for requiring face coverings in public settings are growing louder. Walmart, the country’s largest retailer, said by next week it will mandate that all customers weak masks when entering a store and more state leaders have issued orders.

But some Republican leaders are still resisting. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said this week that he’s banning the state’s cities and counties from ordering people to wear masks in public places, even as case numbers there have surged.

Maine officials have stressed that even though the state has been spared from the surge seen in other states, now is not the time to let up.

This story will be updated

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