April 9 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

April 9 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

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As of Thursday, there are now 560 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus spread across 15 of Maine’s counties, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The death toll from the virus in Maine stands at 16.

[Our COVID-19 tracker contains the most recent information on Maine cases by county]

Statewide, 105 Maine residents have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, while 202 people have fully recovered from it.

A majority of the cases have been in Maine residents over age 50, while they are evenly split between women and men, according to the Maine CDC.

The only county without a confirmed case is Piscataquis.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus and Maine.

—Since the pandemic began, the state’s public health agency has been tracking down sources of infection and attempting to identify how the coronavirus has spread. Today the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a single salesperson caused a “cluster” of cases early on in the new coronavirus outbreak in Maine and may have infected people in other states.

—Providing more information about the spread of the virus here, more than a dozen people who are residents of other states have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Maine, a top state health official said Thursday.

— The Maine Principals’ Association decided Thursday to cancel outright the 2020 spring high school sports season, citing continued concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and a recommendation by the Maine Commissioner of Education.

—The financial toll of the coronavirus continues to bear down upon all sectors of the economy, even healthcare. MaineHealth, the state’s largest healthcare system, has temporarily reduced hours for 12 percent of its workforce and eliminated shifts for 2 percent.

—Another symptom of the economic consequences of the pandemic: 1 in 10 Maine workers filed for unemployment in the last 3 weeks, with the hospitality industry being the hardest hit.

—Despite the closure of schools across the state, some day cares in Maine remain open. Though demand has significantly decreased due to people working from home or being off of work entirely, some childcare providers continue to look after children while their parents are occupied with their jobs.

— The coronavirus outbreak at a Belfast retirement community is worsening, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who are now making the facility one of their major focus points. Ten residents and three staff members at Tall Pines Retirement and Health Care Community have tested positive for COVID-19.

—Most people think the most difficult thing for health care professionals potentially dealing with COVID-19 patients is the personal risks to their own health. For health care professionals who are parents, there is a greater fear — how to keep their children safe. For one registered nurse, the answer was loving grandparents who live 300 miles away.

—There’s not much to do right now other than watch TV. So, if you’re running out of things to watch, we have a list of new shows for you to check out.

—— As of early Thursday morning, the coronavirus has sickened 454,304 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Island, as well as caused 16,267 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

— Elsewhere in New England, there have been 18,941 cases and 503 deaths in Massachusetts, 9,784 cases and 380 deaths in Connecticut, 1,727 cases and 43 deaths in Rhode Island, 628 cases and 23 deaths in Vermont and 819 cases and 18 deaths in New Hampshire.

Watch: Maine CDC press conference, April 9