Maine reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and three additional deaths, as case numbers remain low and other virus trends improve.

The seven-day average of daily new cases declined to 46, the lowest level since late October. The average stood at 73.4 a week ago and 253.6 a month ago. Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 68,632 cases of COVID-19, and 848 deaths.

Vaccinations continue, although at a slower pace. The mobile vaccination unit – a partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state – is at Old Orchard Beach today through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 77 Milliken St. The site will be offering the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Old Orchard Beach location is part of an effort to bring the vaccine closer to where younger people work and congregate, which included recent clinics at Rising Tide Brewing and Becky’s Diner in Portland. The Portland House of Music will be hosting vaccine clinics on July 7 and July 12 from 8-11 p.m.

Maine Beer Company in Freeport will be hosting a vaccine clinic on Wednesday and on June 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., also offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Nearly 56 percent of Maine’s 1.3 million population have received their final dose of the vaccine, with 752,306 receiving both doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Hospitalizations are also trending dramatically downward.

Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, noted the steep drop in a Tweet Tuesday.

“Stat of the day: There are currently 38 people hospitalized in Maine with COVID-19,” Shah tweeted. “One incubation period ago (two weeks), there were 90 people hospitalized with COVID.”

At 3.7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people – on a seven-day average – Maine ranks 30th among the states for prevalence of the virus. Vermont has the lowest infection rate at 1.2 cases per 100,000, while Wyoming ranks highest at 11.1, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute.

Also, Portland may soon end its emergency declaration response to the pandemic, perhaps in July.

Gov. Janet Mills announced last week that she would lift the statewide state of emergency on June 30. The emergency declaration allowed the governor to take executive actions and restrict private and public activities to protect public health and safety during the pandemic.

Portland’s emergency declaration, originally adopted in March 2020, allowed the city manager to impose curfews on bars and issue broad stay-at-home orders, among other things, intended to protect public health. Recent actions have been used primarily to close streets to allow restaurants to expand outdoor dining options, deemed to be safer during the pandemic than indoor dining.

« Previous

Woman wounded in shooting Monday at Sanford hotel

Next »

MacKenzie Scott donates $2.7 billion to 286 organizations, including 2 in Maine