The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported no new cases of COVID-19 and two more recoveries from the illness in Lincoln County over the past week.
In total, 20 people from Lincoln County have tested positive and two have been hospitalized. There have been 16 recoveries, leaving a total of four active cases. The Maine CDC last reported a new case in the county May 24.
Community transmission of the virus has not yet been detected in Lincoln County, according to the Maine CDC.
LincolnHealth conducted 87 COVID-19 tests over the past week, including 50 pre-operative tests, according to spokesperson John Martins. None were positive. LincolnHealth now tests all patients admitted for surgery.
Since the coronavirus arrived in the county March 15, LincolnHealth has performed 605 tests, with 11 positives and 594 negatives.
Martins said by email that the number of calls to LincolnHealth’s COVID-19 clinic fluctuates, but there has been no significant change in call volume in the past week.
Martins said LincolnHealth remains prepared to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Martins reminds people to practice physical distancing of 6 feet, use proper hand hygiene, and wear masks to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
LincolnHealth will reopen its emergency department entrance this week, Martins said. Patients have been entering through the front door. Anyone entering the emergency department will be greeted and asked to wear a surgical mask.
The hospital will also begin testing any inpatients – anyone who requires an overnight stay – for COVID-19 this week.
State COVID-19 numbers
The Maine CDC reports that 2,377 people have or had COVID-19 in Maine as of Tuesday, June 2, an increase of 268 from the week before.
There have been 287 hospitalizations and 1,646 people have recovered. There have been 94 deaths attributed to the illness.
Of the 2,377 cases, 259 are “probable cases.” This category includes people who are close contacts of someone with a confirmed case and become symptomatic.
The number of active cases, 637 – calculated by subtracting recoveries and deaths from the confirmed case total – is a decrease of 75 from a week before.
The Maine CDC also lists the results of antibody tests, which are intended to detect whether someone has had COVID-19 and recovered from it.
It is not yet known if testing positive for coronavirus antibodies confers immunity from COVID-19.
Since May 20, 219 people have tested positive for antibodies and there have been 4,101 negative results in Maine. Eight tests were indeterminate.
Martins, of LincolnHealth, said the hospital has not yet found a reliable antibody test.
