Maine reported a total of 112 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, including 12 people in critical care and three on ventilators.

The number is down slightly from Sunday and has dropped 30 percent from one month ago, when there were 168 hospitalized patients statewide, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, patient counts remain far higher than at this point in 2020 or 2021, when Maine experienced low rates of virus transmission that continued throughout the summers. One year ago, Maine reported only 26 hospitalizations. Two years ago, there were 24.

New and more contagious strains of the virus have kept transmission at elevated levels so far this year, although a smaller percentage of those infected are experiencing severe symptoms and need hospital care.

The state does not release updated case counts Mondays, but Maine has averaged 262 new cases per day over the past seven days. That number does not include people who confirmed infections by using at-home tests.

While the virus continues to actively circulate in Maine, the official rate of infections here is now among the lowest in the country. Health experts continue to urge Maine people to get vaccinations and booster shots, but there are no official state or federal recommendations that individuals wear masks when indoors.

Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 268,842 cases and 2,412 deaths.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: