The fact that the infected Franklin County resident had not traveled recently indicates that the variant already is in the community.
Eric Russell
Staff Writer
Eric Russell has been a general assignment reporter at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2012 and has been a journalist in Maine since 2004. Because he doesn’t have a specific geographic or topical area to cover, Eric often is free to roam the state in pursuit of the most interesting stories, whether it’s tackling the big topic of the day or chasing ideas that fall just outside the boundaries of everyday news. His favorite assignments are ones where he can leave the office and meet with people in their homes or their workplaces to talk about their struggles and challenges – and sometimes their triumphs. Or to try and answer complicated questions.
Eric grew up in Southern Maine, went to college at the University of Maine and worked in Bangor for eight years before joining the Press Herald. He lives in Brunswick with his wife, a school teacher, and two daughters.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Updated: Q&A on vaccinations and the state’s new registry
What’s vaccine efficacy? Should I use the state’s new registry? Why do I have to keep wearing a mask after vaccination?
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Posted inLocal & State, News
Drug overdose deaths remain high in latest monthly report
The Maine Attorney General’s Office report showed 45 confirmed or suspected deaths in February, down slightly from January but still above the monthly average in 2020, a record year.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Maine House speaker proposes overhaul of unemployment system
Democrat Ryan Fecteau has drafted legislation that utilized input from more than 300 people who responded to a worker survey about their experience with the state’s system.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Silver lining of pandemic: No flu deaths and only 3 hospitalizations this season
By this time last year, Maine had recorded 36 deaths and 494 hospitalizations. Experts say COVID-19 safety measures and an aggressive flu vaccine push last fall likely caused the precipitous drop.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
State looking for explanations as COVID-19 case counts inch higher
Cases and hospitalizations have been creeping up in the last month, raising concerns about another wave of infections before vaccinations can have an impact.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Younger Mainers account for rising number of COVID-19 cases
A modest but steady uptick in cases over the last few weeks appears to be driven in part by Mainers in their 20s and younger.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine’s oldest prisoner, Albert Paul, dies at 87
Paul, convicted of murder in 1972, escaped twice from the Maine State Prison, but acknowledged in a 2013 interview that he would no longer be able to make it on the outside. ‘It’s a foreign place,’ he said.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine reports 174 new cases in latest sign infections persist as vaccinations ramp up
With case numbers holding steady near 200, Gov. Janet Mills worries that Mainers will let their guard down as spring nears.
Posted inLocal & State
Nearly 1 in 8 Maine residents now fully vaccinated against COVID-19
Meanwhile, the state reported 195 new cases of the virus on Wednesday but no additional deaths.