LincolnHealth and Lincoln County continued to see a precipitous drop in COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to an email from LincolnHealth spokesperson John Martins.
March 12 will mark two years since the pandemic began and 728 days since the Hospital Incident Command Team began orchestrating the hospital’s response, Martins said.
Of the 247 tests conducted from Feb. 28 to March 6, there were 14 positive cases for a positivity rate of 5.67%, down from 36 and 11.8% the week prior.
By comparison, two months ago LincolnHealth conducted 1,146 tests and registered 277 positive cases for a positivity rate of 24.17%.
Of the positive cases recorded in the last week, 3, or 21%, received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination; there were 4 positive cases for those under the age of 18.
Martins said that while LincolnHealth is continuing to conduct testing at the Arrowsmith Building on Belvedere Road, administrators are planning to move the testing operation back onto Miles Campus given the relative decline in testing numbers.
LincolnHealth is still challenged by bed availability, but the hospital is now conducting more surgeries that demand overnight stays.
Despite the positive trends in the latest data at the county and state levels, LincolnHealth President Cindy Wade asked members of the community “to proceed with both hope and caution.”
“The good news is we’re better prepared based on experiences over the last two years. Our healthcare system has proven its ability to adapt during a public health crisis, while our community partnerships expanded and have never been better connected,” Wade said.
Wade continued by offering her gratitude to LincolnHealth staff and the entire community that they serve.
“As someone who was raised in Lincoln County and has spent almost all of my life here, I could not be more proud of not only our LincolnHealth team, but all those in our communities who’ve stood by us and offered assistance and support,” Wade said.
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.
Those who received a Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are eligible for a booster shot six months after their initial series. For those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, booster shots are recommended after two or more months.
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 March 8, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 5,040 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,256 confirmed cases and 784 probable.
There have been two COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last week, bringing the total to 31 in the county.
According to Maine CDC data current as of March 8, for the total population, Lincoln County has a “moderate to high” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 215,203.26.
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, 26,423, or 76.29%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,208, or 78.56%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 71,200 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 199 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 17,569 additional or booster shots given to Lincoln County residents, up 98 doses from last week.
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 4.12%, down from 4.68% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of March 8, the Maine CDC has reported 231,287 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 3,046 from the week before. Of those cases, 63,803 are probable.
There have been 4,415 hospitalizations in the state. There have been 2,138 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including 60 reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 1.728.1 per 10,000 people, up from 1,705.3 last week.
