LincolnHealth and the MaineHealth system experienced a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to an email from LincolnHealth Spokesperson John Martins.
Of the 306 tests conducted from Feb. 21 to Feb. 27, there were 36 positive cases for a positivity rate of 11.8%, down from 47 and 14.2% the week prior.
Martins said that the positivity rate is the lowest it has been in over two months.
Of the positive cases, 21, or 58%, received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
As a result of the drop in cases, LincolnHealth is allowing more visitors to the hospital and outpatient settings, effective March 1.
“All the data we are seeing indicate the omicron surge has passed,’’ said LincolnHealth President Cindy Wade. “We are thrilled to open up visitation in the hospital and outpatient settings, and we are hopeful that we’ll have more empty hospital beds available soon so we can schedule more patients awaiting non-emergent surgery. We appreciate the understanding of our patients and the continued support of our communities.”
One person at a time can visit hospitalized adult patients; two visitors are allowed for hospitalized pediatric patients. There are no age restrictions and more than one visitor per day is allowed. Visitation hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All visitors must be masked, per the CDC guidelines, and pass self-screening.
One visitor can accompany adults and two can accompany children as space permits in primary care offices as well as the Boothbay Harbor outpatient surgery waiting area, primary care, Emergency Department, and Urgent Care Center.
COVID-19 patients are not allowed visitors. End-of-life care and comfort care will be managed by the care team.
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 1, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 4,975 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,218 confirmed cases and 757 probable.
There have been no COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last week, leaving the total at 29 in the county.
According to a graph maintained by the Bangor Daily News, masking is recommended in Lincoln County and every other county in Maine. The U.S. CDC is recommending that people wear face coverings indoors if there is “substantial transmission” of the coronavirus in a county, defined as a weekly case rate of 50 or more cases per 100,000 people.
According to Maine CDC data current as of March 1, 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 214,601.78.
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, 26,388, or 76.19%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,142, or 78.37%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 71,001 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 153 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 17,471 additional or booster shots given to Lincoln County residents, up 82 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 4.68%, down from 7.45% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of March 1, the Maine CDC has reported 228,241 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 6,835 from the week before. Of those cases, 62,533 are probable.
There have been 4,361 hospitalizations in the state. There have been 2,078 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including 118 reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 1.705.3 per 10,000 people, up from 1,654.3 last week.
