2 more virus deaths in Maine ahead of ‘stay-at-home’ order

Maine Gov. Janet Mills requested a disaster federal declaration Wednesday as the state recorded two more COVID-19 deaths and dozens more testing positive ahead of her “stay-at-home” order.

If approved, the declaration would open the door to greater resources to support child care, behavioral health and legal services, among others. The governor also requested federal money for the Maine National Guard, should soldiers be needed during the pandemic.

“While I know we will conquer this virus, we cannot do it alone. As Maine people do their part, I am hopeful the president will lend the support of the federal government by approving my request for a major disaster declaration swiftly and in full,” Mills said.

The governor’s stay-at-home order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, prohibits Mainers from travelling outside of their homes for all but “essential personal activities” like obtaining food or health care, or traveling to an essential job.

The two new deaths were both women in their 80s in Cumberland County, bringing that county’s toll to five, said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control. Two other deaths were announced the day before in York and Kennebec counties. All told, more than 340 people have tested positive for the virus in Maine, he said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

MORE TESTING

The state is obtaining new rapid testing kits from Abbott Laboratories to bolster the state lab’s testing capabilities, Shah said.

The state will get 15 testing machines along with about 100 kits with the capability of 2,400 total tests from Abbott Laboratories, Shah said. Abbott said the new testing kits, being produced in Scarborough, Maine, can produce a positive result in five minutes.

Those tests at varied locations will augment the capabilities of the state lab in Augusta, which had enough chemicals for 4,000 tests as of Wednesday morning, Shah said.

The expanded testing and rapid results will help to ensure that personal protection equipment, which is in short supply, is conserved for those patients who test positive, he said.

HOMELESS SHELTER

A second person who utilized Portland’s Oxford Street homeless shelter has tested positive for the virus.

In response, the city created a separate quarantine space for homeless people at the Portland Expo. That’s the same place where several hundred asylum seekers were temporarily housed last summer.

Both of the guests who tested positive were from out of state, a man from California and a woman from Massachusetts, officials said. The Massachusetts woman broke quarantine and returned to her home state.