Latest Covid Numbers & Vaccine Phase Update

The latest Covid-19 numbers for Sanford and Springvale are now available, with data as of January 10. Since last week’s update, there have been 147 new cases of Covid-19 in our community, with 108 in Sanford and 39 in Springvale. This is another new record, though not one we want to celebrate. There have been 1946 new cases of Covid-19 in York County in just the past two weeks.

Governor Janet Mills announced on Wednesday that the state has finalized a decision on the next groups of Maine residents to receive the vaccine. Phase 1a has been expanded to include public safety personnel, including police and correctional officers. Covid-19 response personnel, who manufacture, distribute, process, or report COVID-19 tests are also being included. These groups are expected to receive their first doses of the vaccine in the next week or two.

Phase 1b will include people 65 years of age and older, with people age 70 and up receiving the vaccine first, then those 65 to 69 years old. People of all ages with high-risk medical conditions are also included in Phase 1b, but the state has not made a final determination on which conditions will qualify and how they might be staged. For example, people with two or more pre-existing health conditions might be vaccinated before others. Some front-line essential workers will also be included, but the final determination on which workers are essential has not yet been made. Phase 1b is expected to begin the first week of February and continue through April.

More information on how to get vaccinated will be posted on the state’s website at maine.gov/covid19/vaccines beginning the week of January 18. Contact information for health care organizations that can schedule vaccinations will be added at that time. DHHS is asking Maine residents not to call doctors’ offices until this information is posted.

Maine Health, parent company of Southern Maine Health Care, announced Thursday that it expects to begin scheduling vaccinations for its patients 70 and over within the next week or two.