Maine Reports First Positive Coronavirus Test
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A woman in her 50s in Androscoggin County is the first person in Maine to test positive for the coronavirus, Gov. Janet Mills said Thursday.
Mills said at a news conference that the woman is quarantined at her home. She said the Maine Center for Disease Control is speaking to the woman and her medical provider to assess travel history and has started to investigate possible community exposure.
"With one presumptive positive case, Maine has a unique window of opportunity to delay an outbreak, like those we see in other states, and to minimize our exposure," Mills said.
Maine is the last state in New England to record its first case.
As of Thursday, the state was getting $4.6 million from the federal government to help fight the coronavirus, Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King said.
The funding was made available through the $7.8 billion coronavirus appropriations package that passed Congress last week.
For most people, the new coronavirus, COVID-19, causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
People with mild cases recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover, according to the World Health Organization.
The funding released Wednesday will allow Maine to carry out surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory work, infection control, mitigation, communications, and other preparedness and response activities.
"These funds will bolster our capacity to respond to the potential arrival of the virus in Maine and support our efforts to protect the health of Maine people and communities," said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control.
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