Mills, Shah urge Mainers to take precautions as state's first coronavirus case confirmed

Photo / Maureen Milliken Gov. Janet Mills Thursday asked Mainers to take precautions to prevent community spread of coronovirus Thursday, joined by Dr. Nirav Shah, right, director of the Maine CDC.

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By Maureen Milliken

Gov. Janet Mills and Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah urged Mainers to take precautions at a news conference held minutes after the state's first positve case of coronavirus was confirmed.

An Androscoggin County woman in her 50s is the first of the 66 people tested in Maine for the COVID-19 virus to test positive, Shah said at the early afternoon press conference. No other information about the woman was released, and Shah said her test will be sent to the U.S. CDC for confirmation.

The woman is not hospitalized, but is quarantined in her home, and the primary concern is for her health and privacy, Shah said.

“The Maine CDC has been preparing for this eventuality since the end of last year,” said Mills. “With one presumptive positive case, Maine has a unique window of opportunity to delay an outbreak, like those we see in other states, and to minimize our exposure.”

Mills announced several steps the state is taking to prevent community spread of the disease:

She proclaimed an insurance emergency to improve access to care and require private health insurance plans to cover costs related to coronavirus testing;
Suspended all non-essential out-of-state work travel by state employees;
Recommended, on the advice of Maine CDC, that non-essential indoor gatherings of 250 attendees or more be postponed.

It's an approach "based on science and fact, not fear," Mills said. The measures will be reevaluated in two weeks.

She also said that while nursing homes and other senior care centers are most at risk of the virus, which affects the elderly and those will health issues the most seriously, people must find ways to make sure to stay in contact with their loved ones in those places.

"Social isolation is a concern at a time like this," she said.

'Strongest tool we have in our kit'

Shah said there's a science behind the large-scale indoor gatherings suggestion. Social distancing, not only for large indoor gatherings, but in general, will help interrupt the flow of the virus and "flatten the curve," reducing the number of cases and spreading them over a longer period of time.

One of the reason the virus is being taken so seriously, he said, is that there is no immunity and no vaccine, meaning it spreads more easily among more people.

"The strongest tool we have in our kit is to prevent individuals from coming into contact," he said. The risk of contact increases as large numbers of people are crowded into indoor spaces.

Meanwhile, epidemiologists at the state CDC are talking the woman who tested positive and her medical provider to find out if she's traveled, and where and when she got back, as well as investigate possible community exposure. Test results on other individuals are pending. Maine CDC will inform the public if positive tests are confirmed and will offer regular updates on testing recommendations. Positive test results will be posted to Maine CDC’s coronavirus webpage.

“Maine CDC has been preparing for more than two months for the eventual arrival of COVID-19,” he said. "As we work to ensure the best care for this individual, we are not seeing widespread community transmission in Maine. The recommendation we make today is designed to limit potential spread of the virus here.”

He said only releasing information about what county she lives in follows guidelines being used in other states. Maine is the last New England state to have someone test positive.

Preparation, steps

Last week, Mills convened a Coronavirus Response Team, led by Shah, to coordinate state government’s response across departments and local agencies and health authorities to the threat of COVID-19. The response team builds on the work that has already been done by the Maine CDC to prepare for potential cases of COVID-19.

The insurance emergency is supported by state law — Mills has the authority to proclaim an insurance emergency in order to respond to “an existing or imminent likelihood of need for a significant increase in health care services or insurance benefit payments due to injuries or sickness.”

The proclamation, which Mills signed today, allows the superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance to require health insurance carriers providing health care coverage in Maine’s commercial market to cover costs related to coronavirus testing and increases access to care.

While it only affects private insurance sold in the commercial market, the Department of Health and Human Services is also issuing emergency rules to ensure MaineCare provides comprehensive coverage for lab testing and medical treatment.

"Taking this action will help ensure that Maine people are not burdened by costs or deterred from seeking testing or important medical care related to the coronavirus," Mills said.

The state non-essential employee travel suspension will be left to the discretion of department commissioners, and the need for the directive will be evaluated within the next 30 days, she said.

The suggestion to call off indoor gatherings of 250 or more for the next 30 days helps make sure people keep their distance from those most at risk of getting sick, including older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions.It is one of the most effective strategies to prevent community spread of coronavirus, Shah and Mills said.

The recommendation comes from the Coronavirus Response Team, Maine CD and Mills. Not only does it reduce interaction and spread, but doing so will also reduce the strain on the health care system so that it can respond effectively to people diagnosed with the virus as well as other patients, Mills and Shah said.

Ultimately, organizers will decide for themselves the necessity of their events with the help of guidance issued by the Maine CDC and Maine people will decide for themselves the necessity of their attendance, Mills said.

It is not a recommendation to close schools. The Maine Department of Education continues to work closely with the Maine CDC and schools across Maine to help them prepare for COVID-19.

"The best thing that Maine people can do to protect their health is to take the same preventive measures that avoid catching a cold," Mills said. "Wash your hands often for 20 seconds. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home if you are sick."

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, shortness of breath, and lower respiratory distress. Call ahead to a health care professional if you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness. Health care providers will make the initial determination on whether COVID-19 testing is advisable. In cases where it is, medical providers will alert the Maine CDC to coordinate testing. As appropriate, health providers will take samples and submit them to Maine CDC.