Aroostook County COVID-19 Rate Higher than Other Maine Counties

Aroostook County had the highest rate of COVID-19 infection of any Maine county in the first week of July, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Maine CDC on Friday reported 245 new coronavirus cases and eight additional COVID-related deaths statewide. Hospitalizations for the virus have dropped slightly to a total of 114, including 24 patients in critical care.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 1 in 5 Aroostook residents have been infected, for a total of 15,500 reported cases, but the number of cases is likely to be considerably higher than the reported tally. Fewer than 10 infections have been reported each day in Aroostook County in late June and early July, but there are several known outbreaks, including a dozen or so people involved in the Upward Bound program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Meanwhile, the number of counties across the United States with an increased risk level of the virus is climbing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Thursday, nearly 21% of counties in the U.S. were classified as having a high COVID-19 community level, up from 19% a week earlier. The CDC says 38% of counties have a medium COVID-19 community level, a rise of 2.6% in the past week. And 41% of U.S. counties currently have a low COVID-19 community level.

The interactive map below incorporates the latest data from the CDC to illustrate the level of COVID-19 in each state and county.