Maine reported a small increase in the number of hospital patients infected with COVID-19 Wednesday.

A total of 125 patients tested positive statewide as of Wednesday morning, including 16 in critical care, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. None of the patients were on ventilators and no additional deaths were reported.

Many of the COVID patients are hospitalized for other reasons, but test positive when admitted. The state does not keep track of how many patients are hospitalized for COVID versus with COVID.

Maine also reported 250 new cases of the virus, a number that does not include infections confirmed with at-home tests. The state has averaged about 200 cases per day for the past several weeks with no upward or downward momentum.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise nationwide because of omicron BA.5 and related subvariants. While the highly contagious strains also are circulating in Maine, the state’s infection rate remains significantly lower than the national average.

The national seven-day case rate is 269 for every 100,000 persons, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maine’s seven-day infection rate is 103 per 100,000, according to federal data. Only Vermont has a lower infection rate. Kentucky, California and Florida have the nation’s highest infection rates.

Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 275,238 cases and 2,465 deaths.

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