The number of people in Maine hospitals with COVID-19 continued to decline, and there were no new deaths from the virus and few new cases, the state reported Sunday.
There were 168 people hospitalized statewide with the coronavirus, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, down 5 from Saturday. Of the 168 in hospitals, 40 patients were in critical care units and 13 on ventilators.
One month ago at the height of the omicron surge there were 400 people hospitalized statewide with COVID-19.
The state reported just 23 new cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 226,143, No new deaths left the state’s toll thus far at 2,064.
In January, adults who were unvaccinated and became infected were 16 times more hospitalized compared to those who were fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the unvaccinated adolescents ages 12-17 who contracted the virus, eight times were more hospitalized compared to those who were fully vaccinated, the CDC says.
Meanwhile the number of Mainers who are fully vaccinated continues to grow.
As of Saturday there were 73.47 percent of all Mainers fully vaccinated, including those younger than five years old who cannot be vaccinated.
Despite that, the U.S. CDC recommends that 13 of Maine 16 counties have high risk of virus transmission, and that the public should wear well-fitting masks when indoors, public spaces, including K-12 schools.
The three counties that meet the CDC criteria for not wearing masks indoors are Kennebec, Somerset and Waldo.
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