2 more Mainers have died and another 147 coronavirus cases reported across the state – Bangor Daily News

Another two Mainers have died as health officials on Wednesday reported 147 more coronavirus cases across the state.

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 2,219. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats up from 2,176 on Tuesday.

In recent days, Maine has seen new coronavirus cases stabilize in the low triple digits. That comes after Maine saw an accelerating decline in confirmed virus transmission from mid-January when cases reached a record-high 830 through mid-February when they slipped below 100 for the first time in months.

Since then, Maine has seen active cases tick up, the seven-day average climb and a rise in its positivity rate.

Were not sure at this time what that increase may represent, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah said during a Tuesday press conference. He said that his agencys epidemiologists are looking for patterns that may explain the trends Maine is seeing.

Shah said Maine has seen a remarkable decline in cases, but that decline has slowed.

While were not seeing those multiple of hundreds of cases that we saw six, seven, or eight weeks ago, were not seeing a continuation of that reduction, he said.

Two men in their 50s and 70s from York County have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 705.

Wednesdays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 45,091, according to the Maine CDC. Thats up from 44,944 on Tuesday.

Of those, 35,411 have been confirmed positive, while 9,680 were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.

The new case rate statewide Wednesday was 1.10 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 336.90.

Maines seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 171.6, down from 173.6 a day ago, up from 148.6 a week ago and down from 294.4 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.

The most cases have been detected in Mainers in their 20s, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men. For a complete breakdown of the age and sex demographics of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, use the interactive graphic below.

So far, 1,545 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 67 are currently hospitalized, with 24 in critical care and eight on a ventilator. Currently, 110 out of 399 critical care beds and 255 out of 319 ventilators are available. Meanwhile, 446 alternative ventilators are available.

The total statewide hospitalization rate on Wednesday was 11.54 patients per 10,000 residents.

Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (4,849), Aroostook (1,288), Cumberland (12,647), Franklin (909), Hancock (918), Kennebec (3,674), Knox (658), Lincoln (585), Oxford (2,239), Penobscot (3,963), Piscataquis (303), Sagadahoc (890), Somerset (1,251), Waldo (595), Washington (725) and York (9,593) counties. Information about where an additional four cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

For a complete breakdown of the county by county data, use the interactive graphic below.

Overall, 1,886,417 COVID-19 tests have been administered and the statewide positivity rate is 2.84 percent.

An additional 5,431 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Wednesday, 236,784 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 127,647 have received two doses.

As of Wednesday evening, the coronavirus had sickened 28,771,556 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 518,900 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

Nationwide, 80.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered, an increase of 1.9 million doses since Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in Maine.

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2 more Mainers have died and another 147 coronavirus cases reported across the state - Bangor Daily News