LincolnHealth has not seen any positive COVID-19 cases in over one month through its Respiratory Care Clinic on the Miles Campus in Damariscotta.
According to John Martins, spokesperson for LincolnHealth, the last time a span of comparable length with no COVID-19 positive results was May 23 through June 24, 2020.
The last positive result LincolnHealth saw was the week of June 14.
According to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention data current as of Tuesday, July 13, six more Lincoln County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.
Since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County, 1,092 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus — 900 confirmed cases and 192 probable.
There have been 25 hospitalizations and three residents have died — unchanged from last week.
Martins said in an email on Tuesday, July 12 that vaccine distribution has been completely transitioned to primary care offices, but pop up clinics are planned for the future. He said that last week, 19 first doses and 28 second doses were delivered.
“It’s great to be sharing such positive news these days, but we still encourage people who have not been vaccinated to reach out to their primary care provider to get vaccinated,” Martins said.
Martins said that the cap of two visitors per day for a patient staying in the hospital has been lifted. Now, only two visitors are allowed at one time, but there is no time limit and no limit to the number of visitors you can see in a day.
“So two at a time maximum, but as many who want to visit from noon to 7 p.m.,” Martins said in the email.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible to limit the spread of COVID-19 variants of concern. The agency’s website says that variants of COVID-19 result from the coronavirus constantly “changing through mutation.”
Variants of concern “have the potential to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19,” according to the website.
“The emergence and spread of variants also have the potential to chip away at our nation’s progress to end this pandemic,” according to the website.
According to Maine CDC data current as of Tuesday, for the total population, Lincoln County has a “moderate” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 128,396.95. The number does not represent fully vaccinated individuals and, since the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses, the number can be higher than 100,000, according to Robert Long, spokesperson for the Maine CDC.
The census data for Lincoln County provided by the Maine CDC lists a population of 34,634. Of those residents, 21,835, or 63.04%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 22,634, or 65.35%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data. A total of 44,469 doses of vaccine have been administered. 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.
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.
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 1.08%, up from 0.46% last week.
According to the U.S. CDC, the seven-day average positivity rate for this past week is 2.7%, up from 2% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of Tuesday, the Maine CDC has reported 69,324 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 168 from the week before. Of those cases, 18,603 are probable.
There have been 2,095 hospitalizations in the state. There have been 867 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including six reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 518 per 10,000 people, up from 516.7 last week.
The number of new cases identified in the past two weeks is 291, up from 279 last week but down from 350 the week before.
