Maine CDC Reports 581 COVID-19 Cases, Two Deaths on Saturday

The Maine Center for Disease Control on Saturday reported 581 new coronavirus cases and two deaths, including one in Aroostook County.

Penobscot County had the most new cases, with 151 reported on Saturday.  Aroostook had 29 new infections.

In the past week, Aroostook County has recorded five COVID-19 deaths, 197 new cases, and four more hospitalizations. There are an estimated 450 active cases in the County.

Saturday’s report from the Center for Disease Control pushes the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 80,510 since the pandemic started. Total deaths have reached 961.

Currently across Maine, there are 192 people hospitalized for COVID-19 with 72 patients in critical care beds and 37 on ventilators. CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah said case numbers are expected to remain high in the coming days as his office works through a backlog of positive lab results.

Just over one-third of Maine residents are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, including children under the age of 12. The state's vaccination dashboard on Saturday showed about 64% of Maine's total population has received their final dose of the vaccine. Aroostook County's overall vaccination rate is at 57.8%.

New Brunswick Update

New Brunswick Public Health reported 24 new coronavirus cases on Friday, including six in the Edmundston region. Public Health officials said 92% of those cases are not fully vaccinated. Active cases rose to 136 in the province, with six people in hospital.

New Brunswickers who are concerned that they might have COVID-19 can request a self-assessment test online.

Health officials say symptoms of the virus may include a fever above 38° C, a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, a new onset of fatigue, and difficulty breathing.

In children, symptoms of infection may also include purple markings on the fingers and toes.