Governor Mills Says Update of Plan To Open Maine Expected Soon

Governor Janet Mills announced during Thursday's Maine CDC briefing that the state has now tripled its COVID-19 testing thanks to a partnership with Maine's IDEXX laboratories.

"This is a game changer for Maine and for our people," Mills said noting that with these new test kits, prioritizing testing will no longer be needed with a capacity of 5000 tests per week.

"As a result of the new testing capacity," Mills said "we do expect to update the plan to restart Maine's economy very soon."

Maine CDC director Nirav Shah reported that the total number of reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maine is now at 1,330. 1,231 of those cases are confirmed while 99 are deemed probable.

787 people diagnosed with COIVD-19 have recovered.

The total number of active cases is 426, an increase of 2.

No new deaths were reported keeping the total number to 62.

192 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 39 are currently hospitalized with 16 of those in critical care and 11 patients on ventilators.

Here's a graphic that was put together by the University of Maine Presque Isle GIS Lab that shows just about every number and stat you might be interested in, presented in a easy to understand format. NOTE: Today's graphic is delayed. We will update as soon as it is released.

Governor Janet Mills "Stay Safer at Home Order," is in effect through May 31, 2020 and we are currently in state 1 of her four phase plan to reopen the state.

Phase 1 "continues the prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people. People who are able to work from home should continue to do so, and people should wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing measures are hard to maintain. This stage allows for the limited expansion of certain business, religious, and quality of life activities, with appropriate safety precautions.

These include:

• Health care from Maine-licensed providers, with recommendations that they prioritize care for patients with time-sensitive conditions; assure the safety of patients, staff, and communities; manage the use of essential resources such as personal protective equipment and testing supplies; and pace re-opening services to the level of community COVID-19 activity, maintaining capacity in our hospitals for potential outbreaks

• Personal services: Barber shops, hair salons, and pet grooming

• Limited drive-in, stay-in-your-vehicle religious services

• Drive-in movie theaters

• Outdoor recreation: guided outdoor activities (hunting & fishing) and restricted use of golf and disc golf courses

• State parks, state-owned public land trails, and historic sites; although certain coastal state parks will remain closed

• Auto dealerships and car washes

If the Maine CDC detects any resurgence of the virus, the state will slow down the stages and reinstate restrictions.

For a more complete listing of the stages and the governor's layout of those stages, click here.

If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.