Maine COVID-19 Cases at 155; Community Transmission Spreading

The number of cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maine increased to 155 Thursday as 13 new cases were announced during the Maine CDC's press conference.

There have been 3394 negative test results.

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah reported that 16 of the current number of cases are healthcare workers and 22 people are hospitalized.

Most cases are in Cumberland County where the virus has been spreading by community transmission, but now there is evidence that community transmission is occurring in York county as well.

Community transmission means that someone who has contracted the virus had no known contact with another confirmed case or traveled from a country badly affected by the pandemic.

Dr. Shah stated that in order for them to label a county in Maine as having community transmission of the virus, it must have at least 10 cases, 25 percent of which do not have a known link to another case of confirmed COVID-19, either through travel or interaction with another person.

Here's a map of the number of cases currently per county in Maine from the Maine CDC.

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.

Social distancing is the key to flattening out the curve of the spread of the coronavirus, a point Dr Shah stressed it vitally important for Mainers to practice. A low curve means that the virus is spreading slowly which gives doctors more time and resources to treat more people. The higher the curve, the most people get sick at once and medical facilities get overwhelmed.

The Maine CDC continues to update with new information at least once a day. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.