Mobile Vaccination Unit to Distribute J&J Vaccine at Oxford Casino April 12 to 16

During Tuesday's Maine CDC briefing, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew announced a partnership with FEMA to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to rural and under-served communities in Maine. A mobile vaccination unit (MVU) will travel across the state, each with the capability of distributing 250 shots per day.

The first stop will be April 12 to April 16 at Oxford Casino. To check appointment availability for the MVU at Oxford Casino, Oxford County residents can call 1-888-445-4111. Appointment scheduling for other MVU stops will be available in the coming days at maine.gov/covid19/vaccines.

Here's the planned schedule:

April 12 - April 16 Oxford Casino - 777 Casino Way, Oxford
April 18 - April 22 Windham Mall -  795 Roosevelt Trail, Windham
April 24 - April 28 Biddeford High School - 10-20 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford
April 30 - May 3 Fryeburg Fairgrounds - 1154 Main Street, Fryeburg
May 5 - May 7 - Boofy Quimby Memorial Center 96 Howes Corner Road, Turner
May 9 - May 12 - Marden’s Surplus and Salvage 458 Memorial Drive, Waterville
May 14 - May 17 - Old Town Police & Fire Departments 150 Brunswick Street, Old Town
May 19 - May 22 Milbridge Marina - Bay View Road, Milbridge
May 24 - May 27 Thomas Dicenzo Athletic Complex -  Calais Avenue, Calais
May 29 - June 2 Madawaska Multi Purpose Center 160 7th Avenue, Madawaska
June 9 - June 12 Downtown Auburn Transportation Center Great Falls Plaza, Auburn

According to the Maine CDC's Tuesday update, 463,662 Mainers have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 316,929 have received both doses. That equates to approximately 28% of Mainers that are have completed vaccinations and 41% of Mainers that have received the first of two doses of the vaccine.

Mainers 50 years of age or older became eligible for the vaccine on March 23 and those 16 and older will be eligible beginning April 7 thanks to increasing numbers of doses of the vaccine coming to Maine, including the one dose Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

The cumulative number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Maine is now at 52,276 an increase of 290 since Monday. 39,839 of those cases are confirmed while 12,437 are deemed probable.

There were no additional deaths reported of individuals with COVID-19 keeping the total number of deaths to 746. 1,705 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 80 are currently hospitalized with 32 in intensive care and 8 on a ventilator.

On March 5, Governor Mills announced a plan to allow businesses to increase their capacity and removed restrictions on those traveling to and from Maine. All New England states no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID test or quarantine for 14 days when arriving in Maine.

Here's the timeline for relaxing restrictions on number or people allowed in businesses:

• For indoor gatherings, the percentage of capacity increased to 50 percent on March 26 and will increase to 75 percent May 24.
• For outdoor gatherings, the percentage of capacity increased to 75 percent March 26 and will increase to full capacity starting May 24.
• Those businesses that have more capacity under the current policy (50 people for indoor gatherings; 100 people for outdoor gatherings; or 5 people per 1,000 square feet) are permitted to maintain that standard until May 24.

Governor Mills has extended the State of Emergency in Maine through April 15, allowing Maine to continue to receive federal funding and use available resources to respond to COVID-19.

If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.