COVID-19 tests and positive cases identified at LincolnHealth have dropped for the fourth consecutive week, according to hospital spokesperson John Martins.
The monthly testing data for June also boasts the lowest positivity rate of any month so far this year at 6.52%.
“These numbers are certainly encouraging,” Martins said in an email.
For the month of June, LincolnHealth tested 1,105 individuals for COVID-19 with 72 positives. Of those testing positive, 50, or 69%, of the people were fully vaccinated and five cases were in those younger than 18.
LincolnHealth is now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 6 months and older.
Call the MaineHealth Vaccine Assistant at 1-877-780-7545 or email vaccine@mainehealth.org for an appointment. An appointment is preferred and can be made by calling a Lincoln Medical Partners office or by visiting vaccine.mainehealth.org.
MaineHealth is maintaining a database of COVID-19 information that can be accessed at mainehealth.org/coronavirus-COVID-19/what-to-do.
The health system also recommends staying home when sick, testing for COVID-19 in the event of symptoms or contact with a COVID-19-positive person, and seeking care when necessary.
According to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention data current through Tuesday, July 5, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 5,936 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,984 confirmed cases and 952 probable. So far, 38 Lincoln County residents have died from COVID-19.
Thirty-seven cases have been identified in Lincoln County residents in the past week. Hospitalizations held steady at 83.
Lincoln County has a “moderate to high” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 228,330.54. The number does not represent fully vaccinated individuals and, since the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines both require two doses, the number can be higher than 100,000.
The census data for Lincoln County provided by the Maine CDC lists a population of 34,634. Of those residents, 26,814, or 77.42%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,467, or 79.31%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 79,080 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 214 doses from last week. Those counted in the final dose category have either received the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
There have been 24,799 additional or booster shots given to Lincoln County residents.
According to a database maintained by the Maine CDC, vaccine appointments can be requested at Hannaford in Damariscotta, Walgreens in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, and Wiscasset Family Medicine.
Patients of Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Coopers Mills can call 549-7581 to make an appointment for a vaccine.
To schedule an appointment at Hannaford, go to hannaford.com/pharmacy/covid-19-vaccine.
To schedule an appointment at Walgreens, go to walgreens.com/schedulevaccine or call 1-800-WALGREENS.
To schedule an appointment at Wiscasset Family Medicine, call 882-6008.
According to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center, the seven-day average positivity rate for Maine is 7.03%, up from 6.24% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of July 5, the Maine CDC has reported 270,798 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 2,842 from the week before. Of those cases, 75,574 are probable.
There have been 5,177 hospitalizations in the state, including 30 reported in the past week. There have been 2,436 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including 23 reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 2,023.3 per 10,000 people, up from 2,014.9 last week.
