Maine CDC Reports 407 New COVID-19 Cases in Maine and No New Deaths

With 407 cases reported today, that's three days this week over 400 including Monday's record of 427 covid cases.

According to the Maine CDC's Thursday update, the cumulative number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Maine is now at 14,861 an increase of 407 since Wednesday. Recoveries are now over 10,000.

On Wednesday, Dr. Nirav Shah spoke about the vaccine and how that will affect the Covid-19 pandemic. He is afraid that people think a vaccine will make the coronavirus disappear as quickly as it appeared. It will not. It will slow the rate of transmission of the disease. But covid will still be with us. He says to think of it as a speeding train, by the time the brakes are pulled, the train will still go for miles before stopping. The better we get control of the virus today, the more success we will have with the vaccine.

Meanwhile, we are in a staffing shortage for coronavirus patients, that the rest of the country is also feeling. We need to stop the spread...

Governor Janet Mills announced a new executive order November 5 requiring Mainers to wear face coverings regardless of the ability to maintain social distancing. The order comes after consecutive days that the Maine CDC has reported daily case counts at the highest levels we've seen since the pandemic began.

According to the executive order, masks must be worn in public places, indoors and outdoors where people gather closely. Owners of public places must post signs notifying people of the requirement and have the authority to refuse entry to people who choose not to wear a face covering. A clear definition of public spaces is included in the text of the order.

Indoor gatherings have returned to a maximum of 50 people, regardless of capacity, while outdoor activities will remain at 100 people with physical distancing and the use of face coverings.

People traveling from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and Massachusetts are no longer exempt from Maine’s quarantine or negative test requirement.

Bars and tasting rooms were scheduled to begin reopening for indoor seated service on November 2, 2020 but that has now been postponed until further notice.

Governor Mills has extended the State of Emergency in Maine through December 23, allowing Maine to continue to receive federal funding and use available resources to respond to COVID-19.

You can view the full list of businesses and read the guidelines for each on The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's website.

If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.