Young people driving case counts higher in Maine, other New England states
A constellation of factors is likely at play: more virulent variants, increasing activity and pandemic fatigue.
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Cases of COVID-19 are rising faster in Maine and other New England states than in much of the rest of the country, driven by a dramatic surge in infections among younger, unvaccinated people.
Public health experts believe the surge in youth infections – including a more than 150 percent increase since January among Mainers under age 30 – is likely due to a complex combination of factors, from more transmissible variants to increased sports and social activities and “pandemic fatigue.”
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Androscoggin County, which reported more COVID-19 cases Thursday than it’s had on any one day since January, has a coronavirus case rate that’s 36% above the state average.
At the same time, its vaccination rate is the lowest of any county in Maine, nearly 30% below the state average.
Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday that a recent outbreak at Bates College in Lewiston was the driving force behind a recent rise in numbers in the county.
“That was accounting for the bulk of the increase in cases,” he said during a briefing.
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Well said: Skowhegan High speech team wins state title, while three Waterville High students to compete in nationals
Skowhegan team goes undefeated, while Waterville team, revived in 2017 through a donation honoring donor s brother, will send three underclassmen virtually to the national competition in June.
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Members of the Skowhegan Area High School speech team gather Thursday with their state championship trophy at the school auditorium. In front, from left: Carly McCabe, Carolyn Snowman and Ella Conway. In second row, from left: Lizzie Steeves, Zuzu Johnson, Annah Perkins and Emma Smith. Behind the trophy, from left: Emily Lyman, Michael Reynolds and Sophie Wheeler.
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Nursing student Cam Petit, photographed at USM’s Portland campus on Tuesday, has been volunteering at vaccine clinics and is part of a group of students who are encouraging other students to get vaccinated.
Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
The University of Maine System is encouraging students to get vaccinated when eligibility in the state opens up to all residents 16 and older on Wednesday.
“We want every student in Maine to get vaccinated and we want to pull out all the stops,” Chancellor Dannel Malloy said. “This is our shot, meaning we own it, we should get it and we should make it as easy as possible for all our students to be inoculated and that’s what we’re going for right now.”
Every Mainer Age 16 and Older Now Eligible for COVID-19 Shot Coronavirus cases in the state are on the rise, including an outbreak at Bates College that has the campus on lockdown
Published 3 hours ago •
Updated 3 hours ago
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Every resident of the state of Maine who is at least 16 years old is now eligible for a coronavirus vaccination.
States around the country are expanding eligibility for the shots as supply increases. Maine expanded eligibility to all adults and all 16- and 17-year-old residents on Wednesday. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.