Maine COVID hospitalizations edge higher as state reports 791 new cases

May 19—The number of people hospitalized in Maine with COVID-19 edged higher Thursday as the state reported 791 new cases of the disease.

A total of 228 people were hospitalized as of Thursday morning, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up from 225 on Wednesday and slightly below the three-month high of 231 patients hospitalized on Tuesday.

The number of critically ill patients dropped from 34 on Wednesday to 31 on Thursday. Two patients were on ventilators Thursday. No additional deaths were reported.

Maine and the rest of the Northeast continue to experience high rates of new infections driven by increasingly contagious strains of the coronavirus. While more contagious, the omicron subvariants circulating now are less likely to cause severe disease than earlier versions of the virus. Hospitalizations have not increased as fast as the infection rate in recent weeks, and the number of critically ill patients has remained stable.

As of Thursday, Maine had the nation's 10th highest infection rate with 311 infections for 100,000 residents over the past seven days, compared to the national rate of 210 infections per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nation's top health officials said Wednesday that residents of states such as Maine with medium or high transmission rates should step up efforts to slow the spread by masking indoors, avoiding crowds and testing themselves with at-home rapid tests, especially before indoor gatherings.

Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 257,749 cases and 2,337 deaths.

This story will be updated.