After the number of confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus jumped to 42 in Maine, with one additional presumptive positive case in Lincoln County, Governor Janet Mills ordered all restaurants and bars in Maine to close beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
There are now two confirmed cases in Lincoln County and one presumptive positive case.
There was no further information about the new case immediately available.
The two confirmed cases in Lincoln County involve a woman in her 30s who works in health care and a man in his 40s who works as a nurse at LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus in Damariscotta.
LincolnHealth President and CEO Jim Donovan said in an interview with Lincoln County Television that the hospital is following federal and state CDC guidelines for testing of the coronavirus. He said a doctor’s note is required to receive a test.
“If you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, and you have traveled to a place where COVID-19 is widespread, or if you have been in contact with someone who has had the virus, you should stay at home and call your doctor, and he or she will determine if you need to be tested,” Donovan said.
Donovan said the Dorothy B. White building on LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus has been converted into a COVID-19 testing clinic and center of operations. Tests are conducted while patients drive up and remain in their vehicles.
“We all need to take a deep breath. This is an unprecedented time. None of us have seen this in our lifetime before. And it’s important to remember that the majority of people who have COVID-19 recover quickly, and in most cases the symptoms are minor,” Donovan said.
The executive order signed by Mills allows restaurants to offer takeout, drive-through, and home delivery service, and also prohibits non-work social gatherings of more than 10 people. These limits apply to “civic, public, leisure, and faith-based events” as well as social clubs, sporting events, fundraisers, festivals, fairs, or entertainment events.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Maine rose from 32 to 42 from Tuesday to Wednesday. Nationwide, the U.S. CDC reported just over 7,000 cases in all 50 states and 97 deaths.
