Maine confirms first coronavirus case, patient is quarantined at home

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Officials in Maine have confirmed the state’s first presumptive positive case of the novel coronavirus in a woman who lives in Androscoggin County. The woman, whose identity was not revealed but is said to be in her 50s, is quarantined at her home, Gov. Janet Mills said in a press briefing on Thursday. It was not immediately clear where the woman had contracted the virus.

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Mills also recommended postponing events scheduled for 250 people or more but said it was not a mandate, and that the state would not be closing schools at this time.

The state joins at least 44 others who have reported confirmed cases, tallying more than 1,300 illnesses nationwide and at least 36 deaths. According to Maine’s health department, 65 others have tested negative for the virus, and approximately 20 results are pending.

This is a developing story. Check back for the latest information.