The highly transmissible variant has ushered in a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eric Russell
Staff Writer
Eric Russell has been a general assignment reporter at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2012 and has been a journalist in Maine since 2004. Because he doesn’t have a specific geographic or topical area to cover, Eric often is free to roam the state in pursuit of the most interesting stories, whether it’s tackling the big topic of the day or chasing ideas that fall just outside the boundaries of everyday news. His favorite assignments are ones where he can leave the office and meet with people in their homes or their workplaces to talk about their struggles and challenges – and sometimes their triumphs. Or to try and answer complicated questions.
Eric grew up in Southern Maine, went to college at the University of Maine and worked in Bangor for eight years before joining the Press Herald. He lives in Brunswick with his wife, a school teacher, and two daughters.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Hospitalizations set record in Maine as omicron creates new hot spots for infections
The variant has spread first in coastal and more populous counties, driving up infection rates where they had been relatively low just three weeks ago, and experts predict cases soon will spike in every county.
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Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Maine schools face ‘unfathomable challenges’ as omicron spreads
The Maine Department of Education reported Thursday that 4,946 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in school populations in the last 30 days.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education
Students and teachers return from winter break facing uncertainty
New guidelines are aimed at keeping students in school during an anticipated omicron surge, while one district reported dozens of positive cases on Monday alone.
Posted inLocal & State
As child tax credit payments expire, many Maine families face ‘hard choices’
Since July, Maine families have received monthly payments for each child under the age of 18, a program that economists say has kept many out of poverty.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News, Uncategorized
Will the vaccine protect me from omicron? Is it safe to gather with family?
The latest variant of the coronavirus has triggered a whole new set of questions nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Federal ambulance teams set to arrive Tuesday as Maine braces for post-holiday COVID surge
While the delta variant continues to drive cases and hospitalizations, Maine health officials say it’s likely only a matter of time before the omicron variant becomes the dominant strain here.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Omicron expected to spread quickly in Maine as health system awaits federal support
Hospitalizations declined slightly Wednesday but they remain at a sustained high level as the state prepares to receive more federal assistance in the form of ambulance crews.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Seeking a COVID-19 test before the holiday? It won’t be easy
Finding a test in a timely fashion has become all but impossible in Maine as demand has soared.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maine reach another record, ‘overwhelming our system’
Roughly two-thirds of the COVID patients in hospitals across the state are unvaccinated, and the percentage is as high as 85 to 90 among those in critical care.