Maine COVID-19 hospitalizations steady but higher than a year ago

Jul. 3—The Maine Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported 122 patients hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 on Sunday.

While Maine's numbers continue to be good compared to other states, one year ago there were only about 30 patients hospitalized statewide with coronavirus.

Of those hospitalized on Sunday, 20 patients were in critical care units and two people on respirators.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. all of Maine's 16 counties are listed as being at low risk of transmission, a far cry from May 4, when all of the state was at high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The current low rating means that federal health experts do not recommend wearing masks indoors, except for older persons or those who have health risks.

The U.S.CDC shows that of the 50 states, Maine is at the bottom of the list of infections. The national case rate per 100,000 people in the last seven days is 231.8 cases, Maine's rate is less than half of that, 110.9 cases per 100,000 people.

Only two states, New Hampshire and Vermont, have a lower case average.

The five states now with the highest case rates are Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, California and New Mexico, according to the U.S.CDC.

Nationally, there are a lot of infections but relatively few deaths compared to prior COVID-19 strains, The Associated Press reported. The coronavirus is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, however.

___

(c)2022 the Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

Visit the Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) at www.sunjournal.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.