| Today is Sunday. There have now been 2,524 confirmed and probable cases of the new coronavirus in all of Maine’s counties since the outbreak began here in March, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. No new deaths were reported Saturday, leaving the statewide death toll at 98. So far, 296 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, while 1,845 people have fully recovered from the virus, meaning there are 581 active and likely cases in the state, according to the Maine CDC. That’s down from 587 on Friday. Here’s a roundup of the latest news about the coronavirus and its impact in Maine. — The Maine CDC will provide an update on the coronavirus later today. Watch the BDN for the latest update. — “Forty years ago, when the Belfast Farmers’ Market first started to connect farmers and producers with customers, the community around it was at an economic low ebb. … stalwart members of the market have seen a lot over the years. That’s why they’re confident that the Belfast Farmers’ Market will be able to weather the pandemic, too — a reality that makes it challenging to mark the market’s big anniversary.” — Abigail Curtis, BDN — “A $16,000 food bill finally forced restaurateur Wendyll Caisse to throw in the towel on her Buck’s Naked BBQ restaurant in Windham. The rustic restaurant in Cumberland County had stocked up on brisket and other foods for what it expected to be a June 1 opening for indoor dining. But five days before, Gov. Janet Mills postponed reopenings of restaurant dining rooms in three counties, including Cumberland. … Caisse was one of a dozen business people who detailed their struggles to the committee and made recommendations to help businesses survive and even thrive after the pandemic.” — Lori Valigra, BDN — “Officials still aren’t sure how the novel coronavirus made its way into Maine’s second largest prison last month, infecting four inmates who have all since recovered, the state’s corrections chief said. … Many suspected the universal testing would reveal a positive case among at least one staff member or vendor, who, unlike the inmates, come and go from the penitentiary and may have carried the virus inside. Since the pandemic began, officials have severely limited admissions to the prisons from county jails to prevent the spread of the virus, and the sick prisoner had been admitted months before he fell ill. It can take up to two weeks for people to show symptoms of COVID-19 after being exposed. But the testing only found positive cases among three more inmates, none of whom had entered the prison recently either.” — Callie Ferguson, BDN — “Yard sales are a Maine summer tradition. However, this Memorial Day — which is usually the kick-off to yard and garage sale season in the Pine Tree State — saw fewer garage sales than usual due to fears and restrictions surrounding COVID-19 … However, there are things that yard sale planners — and attendees — can do to make sure their event is pandemic friendly.” — Sam Schipani, BDN — “Bangor Pride will go virtual this year, complete with a live streamed Pride Parade. But with contributions to the virtual parade from community members statewide, this year’s event has become Pride Across Maine.” — Nina Mahaleris, BDN — “Mike Cushing, president of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, predicted there will be racing at Bangor Raceway in Bass Park this year — but he is not sure when.” — Larry Mahoney, BDN — As of early Sunday morning, the coronavirus has sickened 1,920,061 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 109,802 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. — Elsewhere in New England, there have been 7,289 coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts, 4,055 in Connecticut, 772 in Rhode Island, 283 in New Hampshire and 55 in Vermont.
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