Bangor, Maine News Update: May 20, 2020

The Maine CDC reports 1,741 cases of COVID-19 in the state so far, which is an increase of 28 from the previous day...and 35 more people have recovered, for a total of 1,088. Three people from Cumberland County have died, taking that total to 73. Dr. Nirav Shah says they had to correct a report of the death of a man in his 90's over the weekend, after learning the man had recovered from the virus and passed away sometime later.

Governor Janet Mills announced on Tuesday that campgrounds and RV parks will be allowed to open for Memorial weekend, but will only be open to Maine residents. However, gyms, fitness facilities, and nail salons will not be allowed to open as scheduled on June 1st. Mills says this is due to emerging research and data about community transmission in other states.

More information has been released about an outbreak at a Cianbro construction site that health officials now say is at the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta. 19 workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and so the site has been shut down. Whether the outbreak originated in Maine or from as far away as Wisconsin is still under investigation.

Mainers are reminded to always wear a life jacket when boating and use hand sanitizer after touching communal objects like fuel pumps and marina gates. This is Safe Boating Week, leading into Memorial weekend when a lot of people will be on the water. Officials recommend letting someone know where and when you're going out if you're boating alone, and always be conscious of how cold the water is this time of year.

Job Corps is the latest Maine school to go to distance learning, using virtual classroom technology. The Bangor facility offers students free career technical training, high school diploma programs, and job placement assistance.

The Bar Harbor/MDI Rotary Club announced this week that the annual 4th of July pancake breakfast and seafood festival is cancelled for this year, because of the pandemic. Organizers have not ruled out the possibility of rescheduling the events in the fall.