Here’s What We Know From Thursday’s Maine CDC COVID-19 Update

The number of cases of the cornavirus (COVID-19) in Maine is steadily increasing according to the latest from the Maine CDC.

In the daily press conference Thursday morning, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, reported that the number of COVID-10 cases in Maine is now is at 52, up from 42 Wednesday. 42 cases are positive and 10 are presumptive positive. Most are in Cumberland County where the virus is spreading by community transmission, which is transmission from someone with the virus who had no known contact with another confirmed case or traveled from a country affected by the pandemic. There have been 2004 negative test results.

On Wednesday, Governor Janet Mills issued an Executive Order for all restaurants and bars to close their dining rooms and offer take-out, delivery or drive-thru for customers. She also prohibited all gatherings of more than 10 people until further notice and urged businesses like gyms, theaters, and shopping malls, to close for the next two weeks in an effort to minimize public gatherings.

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.

Social distancing is the key to flattening out the curve of the spread of the coronavirus, a point Dr Shah stressed it vitally important for Mainers to practice. A low curve means that the virus is spreading slowly which gives doctors more time and resources to treat more people. The higher the curve, the most people get sick at once and medical facilities get overwhelmed.

The Maine CDC continues to update with new information at least once a day. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.