Gov. Mills Says Stay At Home Order Extension ‘Seems Likely’
Governor Janet Mills said in Monday's Maine CDC briefing on the COVID-19 situation that an extension of the stay at home order is likely, but she hopes to have a decision and unveil a reopening plan tomorrow.
That stay healthy at home order is set to expire on Thursday. The Governor said she is still consulting with the team at the Maine CDC to determine if it will be appropriate to extend the order for a certain period of time. She expects to reach that decision soon and very likely tomorrow and will base it on fact, science and medical expertise.
"As of now," the Governor said. "some type of extension seems likely because it seems warranted as we continue to turn the tide against this virus. The steps we are talking are having an effect. They are working, but we still need to stay the course."
Maine Department of Health and Human Services Jeanne Lambrew stood in for Maine CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah who was not in attendance for the first time since the daily briefings began. He made the announcement on Twitter saying he was unable to attend due to a family health issue that was not related to CVOID-19.
We wish you and your family well Dr. Shah.
It was announced that the total number of reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is now at 1023 an increase of 8 new cases since Sunday. Two of those cases are deemed "probable." These are cases are people closely linked to someone who is confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus, such as a spouse or someone within a household. A doctor may not test these people since they believe it is likely that they have COVID-19 and now the Maine CDC has begun adding those cases to the total number of cases reported daily.
549 people diagnosed with COIVD-19 have recovered, an increase of 17. The total number of active cases is 423, a decrease of 10, and 1 new death was reported, bringing the total number to 51. 161 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 39 are currently hospitalized with 16 of those in critical care and 7 patients on ventilators.
Here's a breakdown of the numbers by county from the Maine CDC.
And here's another handy graphic that was put together by the University of Maine Presque Isle GIS Lab that shows just about every number and stat you might be interested in, presented in a easy to understand format.
If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.