Maine records 100th death due to coronavirus

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The death toll from the coronavirus has reached 100 in Maine, officials said Tuesday.

The state also recorded 18 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,606, the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention said in a statement. The state has recently taken steps to increase its testing for the virus, and officials have cautioned that could result in heavier tallies than Maine experienced in earlier months.

Maine’s total number of cases of coronavirus, and deaths from the virus, remain below southern New England states that have been hit harder.

For most people, the new 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.

Other coronavirus-related developments in Maine:

CHURCH LAWSUIT

A federal appeals court is expected to hear an appeal from an evangelical church that challenged a ban on large gatherings by the governor of Maine.

The ban from Democratic Gov. Janet Mills prevented worshipers from attending services in person until recently due to the pandemic. The appeal from Calvary Chapel in Orrington will be considered by 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, though a date for oral arguments has not been set, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The state has argued that Mills’ order was constitutional because it didn’t target houses of worship specifically. It included many places people gather, including theaters and bars.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen ruled in May that the restriction served the public interest.

—

TEST SITE OUTBREAK

Maine CDC said Tuesday that a company that makes coronavirus tests is the site of an outbreak. There have been 23 cases of the virus at Abbott Laboratories in Scarborough since the middle of April, the agency said. The outbreak is currently the subject of an investigation, Maine CDC director Nirav Shah said.

—

TESTING REQUIREMENT

Republicans in Maine said Mills’ new requirements for visitors to Maine are too burdensome.

Mills said Monday that visitors will be able to come to the state without self-quarantining if they can certify that they recently received a negative coronavirus test result. But the Maine Senate Republicans said Tuesday that requirement should be removed to encourage tourism in a year that will be difficult for many of the state’s businesses.

“Maine’s continued testing requirement makes it a far less attractive place to visit this summer than other states,” the Republicans said in a statement.

The changes are set to take effect on July 1.

—

TRANSIT FUNDS

Maine is slated to receive more than $6 million in federal transportation aid as part of the coronavirus relief package.

The U.S. Department of Transportation grants are designed to help transit systems in the wake of difficulties caused by the virus. The largest portion of the money is a $5 million award to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to help with Downeaster regional rail operating expenses.

Another $1.2 million is slated for Maine Department of Transportation to support York County Community Action and the Regional Transportation Program, which is a nonprofit organization that provides transit services in southern Maine, the federal agency said.