Maine sees highest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases in weeks

By Christopher Burns, Bangor Daily News Staff

This story will be updated.

For the second day in a row, Maine saw the highest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases since the winter surge in virus transmission rolled back, with 401 new cases and one death.

The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 3,119. 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 2,955 on Thursday.

Friday’s report marked the highest single-day increase in virus transmission since Feb. 2, when 417 cases were reported. It’s the second day in a row when Maine saw new cases rise to levels not seen since the downward slide from the winter’s dizzying surge in virus transmission.

That comes a day after Maine accelerated universal vaccine eligibility at a time when dose shipments continue to outpace Mainers lining up for the jab. All Mainers 16 and older can sign up for an appointment to be innoculated against the coronavirus starting Wednesday.

A man in his 80s from Penobscot County has succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 744. 

Friday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 51,189, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from 50,788 on Thursday. 

Of those, 39,153 have been confirmed positive, while 12,036 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.

The new case rate statewide Friday was 3 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 382.46.

Maine’s seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 252.9, up from 231.6 a day ago, up from 197.6 a week ago and up from 166.6 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.

So far, 1,686 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 Friday was 12.60 patients per 10,000 residents.

Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (5,389), Aroostook (1,422), Cumberland (14,094), Franklin (997), Hancock (1,074), Kennebec (4,370), Knox (816), Lincoln (668), Oxford (2,592), Penobscot (4,677), Piscataquis (388), Sagadahoc (993), Somerset (1,414), Waldo (720), Washington (770) and York (10,803) counties. Information about where an additional two cases were reported wasn’t immediately available.

As of Friday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 30,540,475 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 553,140 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.