PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A variant of COVID-19 that was first discovered in the United Kingdom has been detected in Maine, state health authorities said Wednesday.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said a Maine resident developed symptoms this month and tested positive for COVID-19 before a sample was sent to an independent laboratory. The Maine CDC, which is monitoring for COVID-19 variants, was then notified of the results.
The variant has now been detected in more than two-thirds of the states, Maine CDC said.
The Maine CDC said the person who tested positive for the variant is a resident of Franklin County and has a history of recent international travel. The person and other household members who tested positive for COVID-19 are isolating, Maine CDC said.
Close contacts of the person are being notified and will be required to quarantine, Maine CDC said.
“Given the number of cases already detected in other states, we expected the variant to arrive in Maine and have been on the lookout for it,” Maine CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah said. “It is more important than ever that Maine people remain vigilant in taking the steps that prevent the spread of COVID-19 - wearing face coverings, staying at least 6 feet apart, avoiding gatherings, and washing hands frequently.”
Maine CDC said it’s in contact with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the discovery.
In other news related to the pandemic in Maine:
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WALMART SHOTS
Walmart is taking appointments for COVID-19 vaccines at its stores across Maine, providing more than 4,000 additional shots a week in the state.
The vaccine will be administered at 24 Walmart stores and two Sam’s Club locations starting on Friday, officials said. Maine is one of 22 states taking part in the program.
The Walmart program is not overseen by the state. Instead, it’s part of a federal retail pharmacy program coordinated with the Biden administration.
Maine would initially receive about 4,300 to 4,800 doses per week at the Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies, state officials said. Hannaford and Shaw’s grocery store pharmacies are expected to join the program later.
Some residents haven’t been able to sign up for appointments because of technical problems with Walmart’s website, but the launch is still slated for Friday, the Portland Press Herald reported.
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THE NUMBERS
The latest average positivity rate in Maine is 3.07%. State health departments are calculating positivity rate differently across the country, but for Maine the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test specimens using data from The COVID Tracking Project.
The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 4.73% on Jan. 26 to 3.07% on Feb. 9.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 41,000 cases of the virus and 641 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
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