24 more Mainers have died and another 217 coronavirus cases reported across the state

By Christopher Burns, Bangor Daily News Staff

This story will be updated.

Another 24 Mainers have died as health officials on Thursday reported 217 more coronavirus cases across the state.

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 2,059. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. That’s up from 2,017 on Wednesday.

Two Androscoggin County residents, three Cumberland County residents, two Franklin County residents, two Hancock County residents, two Kennebec County residents, a Lincoln County resident, four Oxford County residents, three Penobscot County residents, two Sagadahoc County residents and three York County residents have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 701.

Of those, 13 were men and 11 women. Thirteen were in their 80s, nine in their 70s and two in their 60s. Not all deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, but represent those cases newly confirmed to have involved the virus.

Thursday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 44,117, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from 43,900 on Wednesday. 

Of those, 34,820 have been confirmed positive, while 9,297 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.

The new case rate statewide Thursday was 1.62 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 329.62.

Maine’s seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 149.9, up from 139 a day ago, up from 139.9 a week ago and down from 454.9 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.

The most cases have been detected in Mainers in their 20s, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men. For a complete breakdown of the age and sex demographics of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, use the interactive graphic below.

So far, 1,521 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Information about those who are currently hospitalized wasn’t immediately available.

The total statewide hospitalization rate on Thursday was 11.36 patients per 10,000 residents.

Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (4,753), Aroostook (1,264), Cumberland (12,382), Franklin (892), Hancock (888), Kennebec (3,607), Knox (630), Lincoln (576), Oxford (2,176), Penobscot (3,859), Piscataquis (258), Sagadahoc (880), Somerset (1,237), Waldo (580), Washington (716) and York (9,419) counties.

For a complete breakdown of the county by county data, use the interactive graphic below.

An additional 4,804 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Thursday, 211,451 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 105,011 have received two doses. 

New Hampshire reported 335 new cases on Thursday and two deaths. Vermont reported 77 new cases and two deaths, and Massachusetts reported 2,102 new cases and 62 deaths.

As of Thursday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 28,336,780 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 505,944 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.