The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests performed by LincolnHealth in the past week, at 3.9%, is the lowest it has been since the first week of April, hospital spokesperson John Martins said by email.
“Some inspiring numbers to report this week, as both the number of positive cases and the number of tests dropped significantly,” he said.
From June 6 through June 12, LincolnHealth performed 257 COVID-19 tests, with 10 positives. Seven of the positive results, or 70%, are in fully vaccinated individuals.
“You would have to go back more than a year (late June in 2021) to find the number of positive cases under 10,” Martins said.
COVID-19 testing has recently been fully integrated in LincolnHealth’s primary care practices and has “gone well,” Martins said.
The COVID-19 vaccine is being provided through all of LincolnHealth’s primary care practices, as well as booster shots. 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, according to Martins.
MaineHealth, the health system LincolnHealth belongs to, 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, June 14, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 5,825 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,904 confirmed cases and 921 probable. Eighty-one residents have been hospitalized.
Lincoln County has a “high” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 226,390.25. 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, 26,717, or 77.14%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,396, or 79.10%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 78,408 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 302 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 24,295 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 7.23%, down from 8.74% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of June 14, the Maine CDC has reported 266,933 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 3,494 from the week before. Of those cases, 74,544 are probable.
There have been 5,081 hospitalizations in the state, including 106 reported in the past week. There have been 2,406 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including six reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 1,994.4 per 10,000 people, up from 1,981.8 last week.
