March 28 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

March 28 evening update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine

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Here’s a roundup of today’s COVID-19 news in Maine and New England, as of 5:30 p.m. Read all of our coronavirus coverage here.

— Forty-three new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Maine on Saturday, the largest one-day increase so far. That brings the statewide total to 211 in 11 counties.

— Penobscot County saw its number of confirmed cases nearly double to 10 on Saturday.

— Cumberland County has been hit hardest by the coronavirus, with 120 confirmed cases as of Saturday. York County has 38 confirmed cases.

— Three dozen health care workers in Maine have now tested positive for COVID-19.

— Forty-one individuals were hospitalized in Maine as of Saturday with COVID-19. Thirty-six people have recovered as of Saturday.

— Here’s what else we know about the Mainers who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

— We’re tracking the number of coronavirus cases in the state. Check out the latest here.

— The superintendent of the Bangor School Department told parents Saturday that they should prepare for schools to be closed through the rest of the school year and to prepare students for online learning due to the coronavirus outbreak.

— The number of inmates incarcerated in Maine’s county jails is falling as sheriffs, defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges work together to release defendants who have nearly completed their sentences or can have their bail reduced.

— The Lewiston factory that makes the popular Fireball Cinnamon Whisky will soon join Maine Craft Distilling in Portland to make hand sanitizer.

— Breweries are delivering to homes and offering curbside pickup — but they’re in a fight for their lives. The closed taprooms and takeout-only limitations in restaurants are hurting their total business.

— The Knox County Sheriff’s office is investigating a report that several people with guns cut down a tree and used it to block a driveway Friday afternoon on Vinalhaven in an alleged attempt to quarantine the people who live in the residence.

— President Donald Trump said he was considering a quarantine as early as Saturday for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to stop the spread from reaching states with fewer infections.

— The growing tally of sick police officers raises questions about how laws can and should be enforced during the pandemic, and about how departments will hold up as the virus spreads among those whose work puts them at increased risk of infection.

— The Navy, the military service hit hardest by the coronavirus, scrambled to contain its first at-sea outbreak, with at least two dozen infected aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

— What questions are on your mind about COVID-19? We’ll do our best to answer.

— The Maine CDC set up a coronavirus hotline. The hotline is available by calling 211 or 866-811-5695. It can also be reached by texting your zip code to 207-898-211 or emailing info@211maine.org.

— Throughout the rest of New England, Massachusetts has 4,257 confirmed cases and 44 deaths, Connecticut has 1,291 cases and 27 deaths, Vermont has 211 confirmed cases and 12 deaths, New Hampshire has 187 cases and two deaths, and Rhode Island has 203 cases and two deaths.

— Nationwide, there are 119,748 cases and 1,991 deaths from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.