Maine health officials are reporting two new deaths related to coronavirus, and a total of 537 confirmed cases.
That’s an increase in 18 cases since Tuesday, with a total of 14 deaths.
187 of the 537 people have recovered. 101 have been hospitalized at some point, Maine’s CDC reported on Wednesday.
The two deaths reported Wednesday are a woman in her 80s from Waldo County and a man in his 80s from Cumberland County, according to Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah.
Shah said the state’s hospitals have 305 ICU beds total, with 154 available, 282 out of 330 ventilators available, and 233 “alternative” ventilators.
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah says the number of hospitalizations is actually people who have been hospitalized at some point. The number who are hospitalized on any given day is not being reported. However, Shah says reporting from hospitals is improving.
On Tuesday, Governor Janet Mills has announced hospitals will work with the Maine National Guard and MEMA to set up 100 additional beds at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, and at least 50 beds at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Those sites are set to be operational as soon as next week. The governor says hospitals do have adequate beds to treat patients right now, and she hopes the alternative sites will never need to be used, but the move comes to ensure preparedness as the situation evolves.
Governor Mills also says it’s unlikely the state will hold it’s primary in June. She says it’s likely it will be moved to July 14th, but that officials will take all steps necessary to ensure the safety of voters, and encourages voting by mail.
Mills says the Maine Department of Health and Human Resources is preparing to begin making $10 million in supplemental payments to hospitals dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Officials say critical care capacity is likely adequate for acute COVID-19 cases in most scenarios, but staffing and geographical location of those beds remain focal points in the effort to prepare for the worst of the outbreak. In light of that, some Maine hospitals have the ability to convert existing beds to be used to treat patients requiring intensive care.
Shah spoke during Tuesday’s daily press briefing about the role that models play in the state’s preparations. He says that a series of different models are studied by the Maine CDC, not to predict outcomes, but to plan ahead. He says the goal is to have a plan in place for each outcome.
There are now confirmed cases in 15 out of 16 counties, with Piscataquis County the only one still not reporting any confirmed cases as of Wednesday. York and Cumberland counties remain the only places in the state where community transmission has been confirmed, but health officials warn that it could be happening elsewhere.
Shah recommends wearing a cloth mask when you’re out in public, but says it’s more to protect others from getting sick. He says it’s also not a substitute for social distancing.
