BERLIN — The recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases in Coos County and in the Androscoggin Valley has health officials urging people to mask up and social distance.
“We're really putting an impassioned plea out to the community to really wash your hands, wear your masks, avoid large groups right now,” said Brian O’Hearn, COVID-19 incident command leader and director of nursing at Androscoggin Valley Hospital.
kAmr@@D r@F?EJ ?@H 92D :ED 9:896DE ?F>36C @7 A@D:E:G6 r~'xs\`h 42D6D :E 92D 925 D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4 3682?[ H:E9 E96 DE2E6 C6A@CE:?8 ea 24E:G6 42D6D :? E96 4@F?EJ 2D @7 }@G] `]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 9@E DA@ED 2C6 r@=63C@@<[ H:E9 ac 24E:G6 42D6D[ 2?5 q6C=:? H:E9 aa 42D6D 3FE E96C6 2C6 2=D@ 24E:G6 42D6D :? v@C92>[ #2?5@=A9[ |:=2?[ tCC@=[ !:EED3FC8[ r@=F>3:2[ $E6H2CEDE@H?[ }@CE9F>36C=2?5[ {2?42DE6C[ s2=E@? 2?5 (9:E67:6=5]k^Am
kAm~’w62C? D2:5 FA F?E:= EH@ H66<D 28@[ p'w 925 @?=J D66? 6:89E A@D:E:G6 42D6D D:?46 E96 368:??:?8 @7 |2C49]k^Am
kAmx? =2E6 ~4E@36C[ E96C6 H2D 2? @FE3C62< 2E E96 7656C2= AC:D@? 3FE 96 D2:5 :E H2D :56?E:7:65 G6CJ BF:4<=J 2?5 H6== 4@?E2:?65] qFE 2D E96 @FE3C62< 2E E96 AC:D@? DF3D:565[ ~’w62C? D2:5 E96C6 H2D 2 5C2>2E:4 FAE:4< 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ DAC625 :? E96 G2==6J H:E9 E96 9@DA:E2= D66:?8 `_ A@D:E:G6 42D6D 36EH66? =2DE %F6D52J 2?5 uC:52J]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96 9@DA:E2=’D E6DE:?8[ ~’w62C? D2:5 >@DE @7 E96 A@D:E:G6 42D6D 2C6 E96 C6DF=E @7 D@>6@?6 A:4<:?8 E96 4@C@?2G:CFD FA @FED:56 E96 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 56G6=@A:?8 D:8?D 2?5 DJ>AE@>D 27E6C E96J C6EFC?65 9@>6] w6 D2:5 E96C6 H2D 4@>>F?:EJ DAC625 3FE =2C86=J E9@F89 4=@D65 4:C4=6D @7 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D] ~’w62C? D2:5 E96 9@DA:E2= :D ?@H CF??:?8 e_ E@ `__ A6@A=6 52:=J E9C@F89 :ED E6DE:?8]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 D@>6 @7 E96 E6DE:?8 92D 366? 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 925 D64@?5 @C E9:C5 A2CEJ 4@?E24E H:E9 D@>6@?6 H9@ :D ?@H A@D:E:G6 2?5 2C6 H@CC:65 E96J 92G6 366? 6IA@D65] p? 6I2>A=6[ 96 D2:5 D@>6@?6 >2J D66< E6DE:?8 3642FD6 E96J H6?E E@ E96 A=246 H96? E96 A6CD@? H@C<65] w6 D2:5 E9@D6 E6DED 92G6 =2C86=J 366? ?682E:G6 3642FD6 4=@D6 4@?E24E :D C6BF:C65]k^Am
kAm~’w62C? D2:5 E96 ?F>36C @7 A@D:E:G6 42D6D >2J 2=D@ 92G6 @44FCC65 3642FD6 “ H6 =6E @FE 8F2C5 5@H? H:E9 E96 32D:4D @7 92?5 9J8:6?6 2?5 D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8[ 2?5 567:?:E6=J >2D< H62C:?8]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 9@DA:E2=D[ ?FCD:?8 9@>6D[ 2?5 AC:D@?D 92G6 D66? E92E 7@==@H:?8 E9@D6 32D:4 AC6G6?E:G6 DE6AD[ 6DA64:2==J H62C:?8 >2D<D[ 42? C62==J 2=E6C E96 EC2?D>:DD:@?] xE H2D 2 >6DD286 C6:?7@C465 3J E96 DFA6C:?E6?56?ED @7 D49@@=D 7@C 3@E9 =@42= D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ =@42= D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 92G6 >@G65 E@ !92D6 *6==@H[ >62?:?8 E96J 2C6 2E 7F== C6>@E6 =62C?:?8 F?E:= 2E =62DE }@G] `a]k^Am
kAm“(6 2== ?665 E@ H@C< E@86E96C E@ D=@H 5@H? E96 DAC625 :? @FC C68:@?] x7 H6 2== 7@==@H E96 r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 8F:56=:?6D[ H6 H:== 92G6 2 36EE6C 492?46 @7 D=@H:?8 E96 C2E6 @7 A@D:E:G6 E6DED 2?5 86EE:?8 @FC DEF56?ED 324< :?E@ D49@@= D@@? 2?5 D276=J[” D2:5 $p& $FA6C:?E6?56?E @7 $49@@= s2G:5 q24<=6C :? 2 C6=62D6 E@ A2C6?ED]k^Am
kAmq6C=:? $FA6C:?E6?56?E @7 $49@@=D yF=:6 z:?8 D2:5 96C DE277 H@C<65 DH:7E=J H:E9 E96 DE2E6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D 2E E96 6?5 @7 =2DE H66< H96? 2 A6CD@? 2E 6249 D49@@= 3F:=5:?8 E6DE65 A@D:E:G6] r@?E24E EC24:?8 H2D F?56CE2<6? 2?5 A6@A=6 H9@ 925 366? :? 5:C64E 4@?E24E H6C6 ?@E:7:65 E@ 368:? BF2C2?E:?6]k^Am
kAm“sF6 E@ @FC DE277 2?5 DEF56?ED 5:=:86?E=J AC24E:4:?8 D276EJ AC@E@4@=D H:E9:? E96 D49@@=D[ E96 ?F>36C @7 5:C64E 4@?E24ED H2D 8C62E=J >:?:>:K65 2?5 9@A67F==J[ H:== C6DF=E :? ?@ G:C2= DAC625[” z:?8 HC@E6 :? 2 AF3=:4 C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmpD<:?8 C6D:56?ED E@ H62C >2D<D[ AC24E:46 92?5 H2D9:?8[ 2?5 2G@:5 D@4:2= 82E96C:?8[ z:?8 D2:5 2 H9@=6 4@>>F?:EJ 677@CE :D C6BF:C65 E@ 86E D49@@=D 2?5 3FD:?6DD6D C6\@A6?65]k^Am
kAm%96 564:D:@? E@ 8@ C6>@E6 H2D 56D4C:365 2D “962CE3C62<:?8” 7@C q6C=:? w:89 |:55=6 $49@@= G2CD:EJ 7:6=5 9@4<6J 2?5 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ E62>D H9@ 925 E@ H:E95C2H 7C@> E96:C C6DA64E:G6 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 C646?E DA:<6 :? 42D6D[ ~’w62C? D2:5 }@CE9 r@F?ECJ w62=E942C6 92D C6\6DE23=:D965 :?4:56?E 4@>>2?5 H:E9 2== E9C66 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 962=E9\42C6 AC@G:56CD] t249 9@DA:E2= 92D :ED @H? :?4:56?E 4@>>2?5 46?E6C] w6 D2:5 E92E 2==@HD E96> “E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 C2A:5=J 2?5 67764E:G6=J 2?5 E@ C62==J F=E:>2E6=J >2<6 DFC6 E96J FE:=:K6 C6D@FC46D E@86E96C 2?5 56G6=@A DEC2E68J 32D65 @? E96 4@>>F?:EJ ?665]”k^Am
kAm~’w62C? C64@>>6?5D A6@A=6 42== E96:C AC:>2CJ 42C6 A9JD:4:2? 367@C6 86EE:?8 E6DE65[ 6DA64:2==J :7 E96J 766= E96J 92G6 366? 6IA@D65 E@ E96 4@C@?2G:CFD 2?5 2C6 ?@E 766=:?8 H6==] %96 9@DA:E2= @776CD EH@ EJA6D @7 E6DE:?8] ~?6 :E D6?5D @FE 2?5 E96C6 :D 4FCC6?E=J 2 ac\cg 9@FC EFC?2C@F?5[ 2=E9@F89 96 D2:5 E96 EFC?2C@F?5 4@F=5 E2<6 =@?86C 2D E96 G@=F>6 8@6D FA :? E96 DE2E6] %96 9@DA:E2= 2=D@ 5@6D C2A:5 E6DE:?8 @? D:E6[ 3FE @?=J E@ :?5:G:5F2=D E92E 92G6 DJ>AE@>D H:E9:? @?D6E H:E9 E96 A2DE H66<] u@C E6DE:?8 E:>6D 2?5 =@42E:@?D[ D66 DE@CJ[ A286 h]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ E96 :?4:56?E 4@>>2?5[ ~’w62C? D2:5 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 42== 92D 366? 92AA6?:?8 52:=J] %96 42== :?4=F56D C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7C@> 2== E96 962=E9\42C6 AC@G:56D[ ?FCD:?8 9@>6D[ AC:D@?D[ D49@@=D[ 6>6C86?4J C6DA@?56CD[ 2?5 =@42= @77:4:2=D] w6 D2:5 E96 42== AC@G:56D 2 H@?56C7F= 492??6= 7@C 2== A2CE:6D E@ 6I492?86 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 ?665D]k^Am
kAm“~FC G:6H :D E92E E96 36EE6C H6 42? :56?E:7J 2?5 H@C< 2D 2 4:EJ 2?5 2D 2 4@>>F?:EJ E@ 4@?E2:? WE96 G:CFDX[ E96 36EE6C H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ 86E E9C@F89 E9:D] p?5 =:<6 x’G6 D2:5 367@C6 H6’== 86E E9C@F89 E9:D @?6 H2J @C 2?@E96C — H6’== 86E E9@F89 :E E@86E96C]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.