Another 283 coronavirus cases have been reported across the state, Maine health officials said Thursday.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 2,955. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. That’s up from 2,913 on Wednesday.
Thursday marked the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases Maine has seen since Feb. 4, when 301 were reported. After a weekslong decline in virus transmission, cases have ticked up steadily in recent days and active cases and seven-day averages have climbed to levels not seen in weeks. That comes as parts of the U.S., including Cape Cod, grapple with a third coronavirus surge.
No new deaths were reported Thursday, leaving the statewide death toll at 743.
TRACKING THE CORONAVIRUS IN MAINE
Thursday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 50,787, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from 50,504 on Wednesday.
Of those, 38,895 have been confirmed positive, while 11,892 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.
The new case rate statewide Thursday was 2.11 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 379.46.
Maine’s seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 231.4, up from 220.3 a day ago, up from 196.4 a week ago and up from 159.6 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers in their 20s, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men.
So far, 1,677 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 74 are currently hospitalized, with 20 in critical care and five on ventilators. Currently, 93 out of 378 critical care beds and 255 out of 319 ventilators are available. Meanwhile, 446 alternative ventilators are available.
The total statewide hospitalization rate on Thursday was 12.53 patients per 10,000 residents.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (5,312), Aroostook (1,409), Cumberland (14,035), Franklin (991), Hancock (1,062), Kennebec (4,323), Knox (809), Lincoln (661), Oxford (2,551), Penobscot (4,649), Piscataquis (388), Sagadahoc (985), Somerset (1,399), Waldo (710), Washington (768) and York (10,734) counties. Information about where an additional case was reported wasn’t immediately available.
For a complete breakdown of the county by county data, use the interactive graphic below.
Out of 10,683 COVID-19 tests reported to the Maine CDC in the previous 24 hours, 3.3 percent came back positive. Overall, 2,101,553 tests have been administered and the statewide positivity rate is 2.66 percent.
An additional 8,801 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Thursday, 435,700 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 277,098 have received a final dose.
New Hampshire reported 462 new cases on Thursday and one death. Vermont reported 166 new cases and two deaths, and Massachusetts reported 2,499 new cases and 37 deaths.
As of Thursday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 30,467,164 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 552,246 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.