Northern Maine Sees Continued Spike in COVID-19 Cases

The Maine Center for Disease Control on Thursday reported 390 new coronavirus cases across the state. Aroostook County has 51 new infections and three more hospitalizations.

With one week left in August, there have been 298 new COVID-19 cases reported this month in Aroostook County. Active cases in the County are estimated to be around 190, as of Thursday. Presque Isle area schools have made masks mandatory after four students tested positive for COVID-19 in the first week after classes opened.

Northern Maine continues to have among the highest transmission rates of COVID-19 in the state in the past few weeks. Penobscot County added 90 new cases on Thursday. Rural Somerset County recorded 29 new infections.

Maine hospitals are seeing the highest number of critical COVID-19 cases in four months. CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said Thursday there are 133 people hospitalized with the disease in Maine. Fifty-nine of those patients are in intensive care and 27 are on ventilators.

Statewide, there are close to 2,200 active cases, according to the latest estimates. Cumberland County, Maine's most populated county, has seen active cases decline this week. That's largely thanks to the high number of vaccinated people in the region. Over 83% of eligible residents - age 12 and over - in Cumberland County have received their final dose, compared to 65-75% of the population in many other counties

New Brunswick Update

New Brunswick Public Health reported 10 new coronavirus cases and 13 recoveries on Wednesday. There are 164 known active cases in the province with three people in hospital. Public Health says nearly 84% of eligible New Brunswickers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 74% are fully vaccinated.