After a slight increase the week prior, COVID-19 case numbers have once again fallen this week, according to an email from LincolnHealth spokesperson John Martins.
Of the 245 tests conducted from March 14-20, there were 14 positive cases for a positivity rate of 5.71%, down from 36 and 13.38% the week prior.
Martins said the last time numbers were as low was July 2021.
“Clearly, we are encouraged by the drop in the COVID positivity rates and hope the trend continues,” Martins said.
Of the positive cases recorded in the last week, 6, or 43%, received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination; there were 5 positive cases for those under the age of 18.
LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus continues to struggle with bed availability. Martins said while the hospital has been able to address more patients whose operations require an overnight stay, administrators regularly need to prioritize patients based upon availability of beds.
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.
“We continue to encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated and boosted to please do so,” Martins said. “Research continues to show the effectiveness of the booster shot in reducing illness requiring hospitalization.”
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 22, since COVID-19 arrived in Lincoln County in March 2020, 5,124 residents have had the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus – 4,321 confirmed cases and 803 probable.
There have been no COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last week, leaving the total at 32 in the county.
Lincoln County has a “moderate to high” rate of vaccine doses administered per 100,000 residents relative to other counties in the state at 215,964.94.
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, 26,455, or 76.38%, have received their first dose of the vaccine and 27,303, or 78.83%, have received the second and final dose, according to the agency’s data.
A total of 71,452 doses of vaccine have been administered, up 149 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 17,694 additional or booster shots given to Lincoln County residents, up 67 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 3.54%, down from 3.75% last week.
State COVID-19 numbers
According to data current as of March 22, the Maine CDC has reported 234,159 COVID-19 cases in Maine, an increase of 1,206 from the week before. Of those cases, 64,646 are probable.
There have been 4,512 hospitalizations in the state. There have been 2,190 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine, including 23 reported in the last week. The statewide case rate is 1.749.5 per 10,000 people, up from 1,740.5 last week.
