Coronavirus spike could change outbreak investigations

Coronavirus spike could change outbreak investigations A look at coronavirus developments around New England: ___ MAINE AP NEWS

Maine’s top public health official says the state is considering scaling back investigations into cases of COVID-19 to focus on the most vulnerable populations, as some other states have already done.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah warned Friday that “continued sustained ferocious levels of community transmission” is prompting the discussion.

The Portland Press Herald reports Shah said his team will evaluate possible changes over the weekend and make an announcement Monday. ...

MASSACHUSETTS: With the first doses of coronavirus vaccines due in Massachusetts by the middle of the month, the head of the state’s vaccine advisory board says a big challenge will be to find health care workers to administer the vaccines when they’re already busy with COVID-19 patients.

The state is expected to receive 300,000 units of vaccine by the end of the year.

“That puts a real strain on our staff, already strained with staff in the first place,” said Dr. Paul Biddinger. “Mobilizing additional staff is necessary and will happen, but it’s extremely hard to do.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says in its draft plan that health care workers, people at the greatest risk of severe illness and people 65 and older will get top priority for the vaccine. ...

NEW HAMPSHIRE. An official with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation says the pandemic could make it harder to keep roads plowed.

It’s possible an outbreak in some of the state’s maintenance sheds timed with a nor’easter could leave some roads unplowed, said David Gray, the department’s winter maintenance program specialist.

Gray tells the Concord Monitor there are 93 sheds around the state where trucks, equipment and salt or sand supplies are kept. There are between three and 15 state workers in each shed. And the number can double with contractors.

If a case of COVID-19 is reported among those employees, it’s possible that everybody will have to quarantine. ...

RHODE ISLAND. Gov. Gina Raimondo says state officials are working with hospitals and other health care providers to ensure they have the supplies and personnel to receive, store, handle and administer vaccine when they arrive.

Raimondo says 10,000 doses of one of the two vaccines expected to be approved by federal officials soon are expected in the state by mid-December. An additional 19,000 doses of the second vaccine are due by the end of the month. ...