COVID-19 in Maine: Coronavirus Update

As of April 6, Franklin County has five individuals with confirmed cases; neighboring Somerset and Oxford counties have four and 11, respectively.


AUGUSTA — Last week two new executive orders were issued from the governor’s desk: a stay-at-home mandate effective April 2 and a 14-day quarantine mandate for people arriving in the State of Maine, effective April 3.

As of 12 p.m. Monday, April 6, Maine had 499 individuals with confirmed cases; of those, 158 have recovered, 92 have been hospitalized at some point in their illness, and 10 individuals have passed away. At this time community transmission has only been detected in Cumberland and York counties. Franklin County has five individuals with confirmed cases, while neighboring counties Somerset and Oxford have four and 11, respectively. Cases are tracked by county of residence, not the individual’s current location.

This week the Maine CDC is working to ship out personal protective equipment to health care facilities and congregate facilities across the state; by Wednesday, they will have shipped approximately 130 orders of PPE.

“I’d like to draw a specific focus to every single health care worker and health care provider who is on the front line right now,” Maine CDC Director Doctor Nirav Shah said in a press conference Monday morning. “And I’d like to just take a moment to thank them, not only for their service, but for their courage. This is one of those situations where being courageous is not the same thing as being oblivious to risk. This is a situation where courage entails recognizing the risk, and, knowing full well that risk exists, continuing to charge onto the front lines because they know that is the right thing to do.”

Information will be forthcoming about the possibility of setting up a care center module. A single module contains 50 care centers, each containing a cot and equipment to care for a patient. PPE and staff would need to be supplied. The modules can be broken up into smaller units. Southern Maine is a hot spot at the moment, so the need may be greatest there, but the Maine CDC is also working on the logistics of setting up smaller centers in Northern Maine, Western Maine and Eastern Maine. More details will be available as they are worked out.

The U.S. CDC has issued a recommendation that everyone who must be out in public wear a cloth face covering. This is not PPE; the face covering is not to protect an individual from being exposed to the virus, but to help reduce the chances of an asymptomatic carrier transmitting the virus to someone else. It is not a replacement for proper social distancing. This is a recommendation at this time and not a mandate. There are a number of videos available online that demonstrate how to create a fabric face covering, including one from the U.S. Surgeon General, Doctor Jerome Adams.

Stay Healthy At Home:

The stay-at-home mandate requires that individuals remain at home unless they are working an essential job or doing essential personal business such as grocery shopping, banking and picking up medication. The order does allow for outdoor recreation such as hiking, walking, biking, running and fishing, as long as there are no gatherings larger than 10 and as long as people maintain the six-foot social distancing guidelines. The order will be enforced by law and violation of the order is a Class E crime.

“These are no ordinary times. Nothing feels really right about doing this. Nothing feels normal about doing this. I don’t think any of the governors I’ve spoken with or dealt with ever expected to have to take these kinds of measures,” Mills said in closing her Tuesday afternoon press conference on the stay-at-home mandate. “I beg the people of Maine to be patient, to be tolerant, to act with kindness, compassion and humanity towards your neighbors, your family, your friends, and your community members across the state as we engage in this unusual manner to put to bed this terrible, dangerous, deadly virus. Thank you.”

Read the full stay-at-home press release and Executive Order: tinyurl.com/sqqoor3.

Quarantine:

The quarantine mandate requires that all people entering Maine observe a self-quarantine for 14 days following their arrival, and then continue to observe the social distancing and stay-at-home mandate currently in place. Additionally, the order instructs visitors not to travel to Maine if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 and advises them not to travel to Maine if they are traveling from cities or regions identified as COVID-19 hot spots.

“To slow the spread of this deadly virus and prevent our health care system from being overwhelmed, we must all do our part,” said Governor Mills. “I am mandating that anyone entering Maine self-quarantine for 14 days and abide by Maine’s Stay Healthy at Home Order. These actions will protect the health and safety of everyone.”

To assist with deterring unnecessary travel, the order also suspends lodging operations, including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, inns, and short-term rentals such as those available through VRBO, AirBnB, RV parks and campgrounds, and all public and private camping facilities as well as online reservations effective Sunday, April 5 at 12 p.m. However, the order allows for the housing of vulnerable populations — such as children in emergency placements, persons at risk of domestic violence, and homeless individuals as permitted by the State — and for accommodations for health care workers and other workers who are necessary to support public health, public safety, or critical infrastructure.

The order exempts individuals who are providing essential services as defined by Governor Mills’ March 24 Executive Order, such as delivery truck drivers.

Read the full quarantine press release and Executive Order: tinyurl.com/r32ycju.

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