Maine COVID-19 Cases at Record Level in First 2 Weeks of December

COVID-19 cases have surged across Maine since the first of December, with a record stretch of new cases and hospitalizations reaching their highest level since the pandemic started.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported two more COVID-19 deaths and 1,504 new coronavirus cases. Aroostook County recorded 77 new cases.

Active infections across the state are estimated to be at least 10,640 as of Wednesday. The active case count in Aroostook County is over 930, according to the latest data.

Maine CDC says the number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Maine stands at 378. There are 123 patients being treated in ICU, with nearly half of those on ventilators.

Since December 1^st, Maine has recorded 12,284 new coronavirus cases, 114 new hospitalizations and 51 deaths from COVID-19. Aroostook County recorded 1,133 new cases in that two week period.

In November, there were 16,341 cases reported statewide, along with 347 new hospitalizations and 160 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

One Year Since First COVID-19 Vaccination

It has now been one year since the first Maine resident received their first COVID-19 vaccine.

MaineHealth administered the first vaccinations in the state on Dec. 15, 2020 to its caregivers treating COVID patients. One year later, just over 70% of eligible Maine residents are fully vaccinated.

Following the Thanksgiving holiday, however, Maine has been dealing with a surge of new cases and hospitalizations, as the delta variant continues to infect those most vulnerable.

The state is encouraging fully vaccinated Mainers to get a booster shot and for others who still have not been vaccinated, to get their shots as soon as possible to help stop the spread of the virus.

Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.