New Energy Code Aims for Lower Emissions

Home , Portland Press Herald

CAUTION URGED Local cross country runners Augusta reports skunk adjust to imperfect weather with rabies found in 74° conditions B4 city neighborhood B1 Partly cloudy WEATHER, B12

COVID-19 VACCINE TRACKER FULLY VACCINATED...... 863,622 HUMANE SOCIETY WATERVILLE AREA Percent of Maine’s population...... 64.25% FULL VACCINATION INCLUDES 1-DOSE VACCINE SOURCES: Maine Center for Disease Control and U.S. Census Bureau Shelter cleared to reopen CORONAVIRUS Patients on ventilators sets record for Maine State unable to keep up with cases as backlog of tests weighs heavily

BY RACHEL OHM Portland Press Herald

The number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators at Maine hospitals reached a record high Wednesday as positive cases continue to increase and overwhelm the state’s ability to keep up with the reports of new infections. Maine remains in the throes of the na- Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel photos tionwide coronavirus John Bernier of the Humane Society Waterville Area plays with 2-year-old Ginger while dropping off dog toys Wednesday at the surge as the delta vari- Waterville shelter. The shelter has 14 dogs available for adoption. ant sweeps through the unvaccinated population. And there is no slowdown in sight, Organization seeks new director to help stabilize operations Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Cen- ter for Disease Control BY AMY CALDER Waterville & Prevention, said Morning Sentinel We Exit Kennedy during a media brief- 137 127 Memorial Drive ing Wednesday. didn’t think WATERVILLE — The ani- Robert “We are anticipating 95 LaFleur mal shelter operated by the Airport seeing continued sus- the“ onslaught Humane Society Waterville Webb Road tained high numbers 104 Area has reopened after clos- Kennebec River of cases for at least the of cases that ing in late July because sever- Humane Society coming week; perhaps we would be Exit Trafton even longer than that,” al cats and dogs had fallen ill 124 Waterville Area and overcrowding prompted Road Shah said. getting would officials to send many ani- Staff graphic by Sharon Wood Forty-two people at mals to other shelters. Maine hospitals were be where we “We have been the shelter closed confirmed breathing Wednesday cleared for ill- some cats had ringworm and with assistance of ven- are now.” ness,” Malena upper respiratory infections, tilators, according to DR. NIRAV SHAH VIEW Chelsea Braley, feline team manager at the Humane Society Wa- and some dogs had kennel Gatti, a member the Maine CDC. The MAINE CDC DIRECTOR SLIDESHOW of the Humane terville Area, cares for cats Wednesday at the shelter in Waterville. cough. previous high of 40 was CentralMaine.com Society’s board The shelter has 25 cats available for adoption. The animals were quaran- reported Monday. of directors, said tined and officials worked Patients using ventilators are the most Tuesday. “We had a follow-up around so quickly that the mates they originally gave us. with the Maine Federation severely ill among those filling Maine in- inspection a few weeks ago state lifted our quarantine They had told us it would be of Humane Societies and the tensive care units. Nearly all patients re- and our team had been able after, I believe, 25 days, which 30 to 90 days.” ceiving critical care, and 70% to 75% of all to turn the whole operation was shorter than the esti- Veterinarians at the time SHELTER, PAGE A12 PATIENTS, PAGE A12

SKOWHEGAN MAINEGENERAL HEALTH Public meeting Staffing contingency plan in works set to discuss About 81% of hospital’s employees meet Gov. Mills’ vaccination mandate BY CHRIS BOUCHARD second bridge Kennebec Journal AUGUSTA — With Gov. BY TAYLOR ABBOTT Downtown Janet Mills having set a Morning Sentinel 201 Crossing alternative Margaret COVID-19 vaccination man- Chase Smith 2 date for health care work- Bridges Kennebec River SKOWHEGAN — 201 ers, MaineGeneral Health A public meeting is Skowhegan in Augusta is working on a Area High scheduled for Sept. School Downstream contingency plan for staffing Crossing alternative 28 as officials move 2 as the Oct. 29 deadline grows Norridgewock Skowhegan forward with plans to 104 nearer. build another bridge Spokesperson Joy McKen- Staff graphic by Sharon Wood over the Kennebec Riv- na said as of Tuesday, about er to ease downtown MORE INSIDE 81% of MaineGeneral’s em- traffic congestion. ployees met the mandate’s Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Officials looking to The town’s second requirements. MaineGeneral Health is working on a contingency plan for staffing as the Oct. 29 deadline ap- replace Hilton Bridge in bridge committee has On July 31, the Maine proaches for the COVID-19 vaccination mandate Gov. Janet Mills has set for health care workers. suggested whittling Skowhegan, Canaan B1 Healthcare Worker COVID-19 down the options for a dashboard data showed 1,121 all employees, temporary or members of the staff had re- MaineGeneral had about 520 second span over the Community Center at employees at MaineGeneral contract personnel and vol- signed and another 4% had job openings. That has proved Kennebec from seven 39 Poulin Drive. The were not vaccinated, while unteers or students. received at least one dose of challenging for some parts of to two, keeping a down- meeting is scheduled to 2,830 had received the vac- Since the mandate was an- the COVID-10 vaccine. stream and downtown begin at 7 p.m. and will cine. The numbers included nounced, McKenna said 16 As of Tuesday, she said, STAFFING, PAGE A12 crossing as the leading be livestreamed on the contenders. town’s Facebook page. The Maine Depart- Six bridge options INDEX ment of Transportation have been discussed as ‘EXACTLY WHAT WE FEARED’ and T.Y. Lin Interna- well as a seventh option Business A10 Heloise & Horoscope B9 tional officials plan to to not build at all. At a Abortion providers in Texas say they Classified B10-11 Obituaries A7-8 present the findings of public hearing in June are seeing a sharp drop in patients in Comics & Puzzles B9 Opinion A11 a feasibility study Sept. two weeks since law took effect A3 Community A9 Sports B4-6 Volume 118, 28 at the Skowhegan BRIDGE, PAGE A12 Entertainment B8 TV & Crossword B8 Number 222