Jobless claims continue to fall in Maine; colleges get aid

ORONO, Maine (AP) - Jobless claims are continuing to fall in Maine.

The Maine Department of Labor said 1,700 individuals filed an initial claim for unemployment assistance in the week that ended on Aug. 1. That’s 900 less than the previous week and far less than the totals from April and May, when tens of thousands files new claims to assistance week after week.

The labor department said it has paid out more than $1.3 billion in federal and state benefits since March 15. It paid out less than $74 million in all of 2019.

The department said it’s still investigating unemployment impostor fraud, and canceled 530 initial claims that were found to be fraudulent in the most recent week.

“Maine is one of many U.S. states working in close collaboration with state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies to investigate and prevent it,” the department said in a statement.

In other news related to the pandemic in Maine:

NEW CASES

Maine public health authorities reported 17 new cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing the total number of reported cases above 4,000. The state has 124 deaths because of the virus.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

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COLLEGE AID

Thirteen colleges, community colleges and universities in Maine are set to receive more than $5 million in federal money to help low-income students navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Support Services Program is awarding the money. Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said it will provide assistance to low-income and first-generation colleges students in Maine.

The largest of the grants is slated for University of Maine at Orono, which is set to receive more than $660,000. Central Maine Community College is slated to receive nearly $600,000.

Collins said the funding “will help ensure that Maine’s colleges and universities have the resources they need to continue to help students graduate and reach their career goals, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” She said there are 7,400 low-income and first-generation college students in the state.