ALFRED, Maine (AP) - An outbreak of the coronavirus has sickened more than 80 people at a Maine jail, and county officials said Thursday they will investigate.
The county will work with the York County Sheriff’s Office on a “comprehensive inquiry” into the outbreak that began at York County Jail in Alfred on Aug. 19, County Manager Gregory Zinser said. More than half of the people sickened at the jail have been inmates.
“It is important we start to review and acknowledge actions that have taken place and really conduct an inquiry into what happened,” Zinser said. “How did this happen at the facility with clear protocols in place?”
The county will take appropriate action when it has gathered all the facts, Zinser said.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said there is an overlap between the jail outbreak and a larger outbreak that stems from a Millinocket wedding reception. A staff member from the jail attended the wedding, state authorities have said.
Maine authorities have said the wedding outbreak is linked to more than 140 cases of the virus and two deaths in total. Maine CDC increased the number of deaths from one to two on Thursday.
In other news related to the pandemic in Maine:
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THE NUMBERS
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state increased by 50.
The number of people who have tested positive in Maine stands at 4,617, while the number of COVID-19 patients who have died in Maine is 133, the Maine CDC reported.
The COVID-19 illness results in mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems.
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CHURCH OUTBREAK
An outbreak at a Sanford church has grown from five to 10 cases, Maine CDC director Nirav Shah said Thursday. The Calvary Baptist Church also appears to have an overlap with the Millinocket wedding outbreak, Maine officials have said.
Shah said the state has not established a direct link between the church and the wedding outbreak. He said he has been in touch with the pastor from the church. The pastor, Todd Bell, officiated the Millinocket wedding.
Shah said the state is tracking the Sanford outbreak “very closely.” He said the state is working to find out how coronavirus could have been introduced to the church community.
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JOBLESS CLAIMS UP
The number of unemployment claims has ticked up slightly in Maine, signaling that the pandemic continues to have an impact on the state’s economy.
The Maine Department of Labor said Thursday it handled some 3,200 initial unemployment claims last week. That was an increase of about 800 from the previous week.
The Labor Department said about 67,500 workers filed continuing unemployment claims last week, up from 64,100 the previous week. The number of claims has fallen since the spring, but it remains higher than any point in at least the past 10 years, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The department said it has paid out about $1.43 billion in state and federal unemployment claims since mid-March. The department said it also continues to investigate potential cases of unemployment fraud.
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