The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported another 1,504 cases of coronavirus and two additional deaths on Wednesday, as the state set another record for virus hospitalizations.
381 patients with COVID-19 are in Maine’s hospitals, surpassing the record of 379 on Dec. 8th. 125 of those patients are in critical care, the most since the start of the pandemic, and 58 are on ventilators.
Cases and hospitalizations are mounting despite the state’s vaccination rate, which is also on the rise. Roughly 73% of eligible Mainers are vaccinated.
On Saturday, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said about 65% of COVID patients in the hospital were not fully vaccinated. Among those in ICUs, that rate was 90% at some hospitals.
On Tuesday, Northern Light Health opened a vaccination clinic at the former Pier 1 store in the Maine Mall. Dr. Shah says that site administered 1,100 doses on the first day.
Maine’s CDC also says a rapid PCR testing site is opening up at the Portland Jetport. The site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to passengers as well as the public, offering tests with no out-of-pocket cost. Results take about one to two hours.
