Cases of COVID-19 have ticked up in the past week after a month of downward trends in the number of people testing positive for the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, LincolnHealth spokesperson John Martins said by email on April 12.
“Our percentage of positive tests is the highest it has been since the week of March 7-13, with 8.2% of testing positive,” Martins wrote. “We conducted 328 tests in all, the highest since the week of February 14-20.”
The upward trend has been happening in Maine and other states, Martins said.
Three more deaths of Lincoln County residents were reported in the past week, for a total of 35 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
From April 4 to April 10, the hospital saw 27 positive cases out of 328 tests, for a positivity rate of 8.23%, up from 3.75% last week.
Martins shared information that MaineHealth, the health system of which LincolnHealth is a part of, is sharing to help keep people safe in this time of COVID-19 uncertainty. The information can be accessed online here: mainehealth.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19/What-to-do.
MaineHealth recommends that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated or get a first or second booster shot. A second booster shot has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control for adults age 50 and over and immunocompromised individuals over 12 years old.
The booster clinic at the Watson Health Center on the Miles Campus is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for appointments and walk-ins. Booster appointments can be made at vaccine.mainehealth.org or by calling 877-780-7545. Those registering will need to provide the date of their last COVID-19 shot.
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.
Pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in the Lincoln Medical Partners Primary Care Office in Damariscotta. Pediatric patients do not need to schedule special appointments.
Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5-11 is available in a two-dose series and is administered in a lower dose than the vaccine for adolescents and adults. Just like adults, doses will be administered 21 days apart.
According to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention data through April 12, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 5,210 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,401 confirmed cases and 809 probable.
Lincoln County has a “moderate to high” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 210,226.94.
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, 26,515, or 76.56%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,391, or 79.09%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 72,810 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 690 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 18,904 additional or booster shots given to Lincoln County residents.
The vaccine is being provided through all of LincolnHealth’s primary care practices, as well as a booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
According to a database maintained by the Maine CDC, vaccine appointments can be requested at Hannaford in Damariscotta, Walgreens in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Nathan’s Pharmacy in Boothbay Harbor, and Community Pharmacy in Waldoboro.
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 Community Pharmacy, go to communityrx.com/covid-19.
To schedule an appointment at Nathan’s Pharmacy, call 315-2280.
According to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center, the seven-day average positivity rate for Maine is 3.89%, down from 4% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of April 12, the Maine CDC has reported 238,774 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 1,789 from the week before. Of those cases, 65,800 are probable.
There have been 4,627 hospitalizations in the state. There have been 2,208 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including 68 reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 1,784 per 10,000 people, up from 1.770.7 last week.
