Portland Tyson Plant COIVD-19 Tests Show 5 of 96 Positive

Maine CDC director Nirav Shah announced that the first batch of testing for COIVD-19 has come in for the Tyson poultry processing plant on St. John Street in Portland, formerly Barber Foods.

Before this batch of testing there were 12 cases of COVID-19 at the plant. This batch of tests that were conducted on 96 Tyson employees and of those 96, five came back as positive. Those five positive tests are not included in today's report of conronavirus cases as they came in just moment before Dr. Shah began his briefing. They will be added to Tuesday's numbers.

Over 400 employees will be tested, so Dr. Shah expects more results to come in and it is likely there will be more positive results.

The total number of reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maine is now at 1,205, an increase of 20 new cases since Sunday.

720 people diagnosed with COIVD-19 have recovered, an increase of 14. The total number of active cases is 428, an increase of 6.

No new deaths were reported keeping total at 57.

186 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 37 are currently hospitalized with 18 of those in critical care and 11 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.

Governor Janet Mills "Stay Safer at Home Order," is in effect through May 31, 2020 and we are currently in state 1 of her four phase plan to reopen the state.

Phase 1 "continues the prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people. People who are able to work from home should continue to do so, and people should wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing measures are hard to maintain. This stage allows for the limited expansion of certain business, religious, and quality of life activities, with appropriate safety precautions.

These include:

• Health care from Maine-licensed providers, with recommendations that they prioritize care for patients with time-sensitive conditions; assure the safety of patients, staff, and communities; manage the use of essential resources such as personal protective equipment and testing supplies; and pace re-opening services to the level of community COVID-19 activity, maintaining capacity in our hospitals for potential outbreaks

• Personal services: Barber shops, hair salons, and pet grooming

• Limited drive-in, stay-in-your-vehicle religious services

• Drive-in movie theaters

• Outdoor recreation: guided outdoor activities (hunting & fishing) and restricted use of golf and disc golf courses

• State parks, state-owned public land trails, and historic sites; although certain coastal state parks will remain closed

• Auto dealerships and car washes

If the Maine CDC detects any resurgence of the virus, the state will slow down the stages and reinstate restrictions.

For a more complete listing of the stages and the governor's layout of those stages, click here.

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.