After battling pancreatic cancer for 18 months, Ken Clark fell ill with COVID-19. At a central Maine hospital, his family fought to be by his side during his final moments.
Health
Zooming a final goodbye
Unable to be by their dying mother’s bedside due to coronavirus restrictions, a family gathers on Zoom to tell their mother they loved her.
Saying goodbye to Dad
A journalist can’t help but think of her father’s death as she writes and reports on dying during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Last Responders: Consoling the dying and grieving in the COVID-19 era
The coronavirus pandemic’s last responders – Maine’s priests, chaplains, funeral directors and hospice workers − say the highly infectious virus has upended how they do their jobs. Barred from entering most hospitals and long-term living facilities, chaplains and priests must offer comfort, consolation and prayers electronically. Families are robbed of a final goodbye, and those who are dying of COVID − or any other illness in a confined setting – must die with strangers while longing for the touch of a loved one.
A doctor who can’t stand on the sidelines
For the past month, Dr. Jennifer McConnell has volunteered at the coronavirus screening tent at MaineGeneral Health in Augusta. As the first line of defense against COVID-10, McConnell has screened over 200 people while providing much-needed information and comfort.
2020: A Class Dismissed
The Maine Monitor spoke to seniors from high schools across the state to tell the story of Maine’s Class of 2020 and how these soon-to-be graduates are dealing with the unexpected developments that come with a pandemic and a disrupted senior year.
Maine prepares arenas for next wave of coronavirus patients
A single 250-bed federal medical station is all Maine has to expand its hospital capacity statewide. Used in New York following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the second-hand medical station has no medical supplies and only limited durable medical equipment, including cots and hand-washing stations, yet it will be the backbone of the next phase of Maine’s response to the virus
Coronavirus in Maine: Data Dashboard
Explore trends in Maine’s COVID-19 cases by county, age and sex of the afflicted individuals and more in charts updated daily with data from Maine’s CDC.
Stockpile crash
Maine invested millions of federal dollars in protective medical equipment and emergency ventilators to prepare its hospitals for infectious disease, bioterrorism and mass casualty events. Yet, years of spending cuts left Maine’s three regional resource centers strapped for cash to replace aging and expiring medical supplies.
Maine reduces jail population amid coronavirus concerns
Maine is reducing its jail population as the state aims to avoid potential exposure of staff and inmates to COVID-19, the illness widely known as coronavirus, inside its locked facilities.
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