The University of Maine System will announce a COVID-19 vaccination change policy impacting the fall semester Wednesday afternoon.
Chancellor Dannel Malloy told members of the university community last week a policy change was expected by the end of the day Wednesday following concerns about the fast-spreading delta variant of the virus.
“From the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve prioritized student, faculty, staff and community safety, followed the science, and acted quickly and transparently to protect public health,” Malloy said in a letter to the university community Friday. “That necessarily remains our priority and strategy. While we all want the pandemic to ease, the need for vigilance remains.”
The announcement comes as Maine reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, continuing a trend of increasing case counts. There were no additional deaths. The seven-day daily average of new cases jumped to 103 on Wednesday, compared to 66.9 a week ago and 20 a month ago.
Since the pandemic began, Maine has recorded 70,844 cases of COVID-19, and 900 deaths.
The new case numbers reflect rising rates of infection in Cumberland, Kennebec and Piscataquis counties, placing those counties into the “substantial” transmission category where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends mask wearing indoors for all people. Remaining in the “substantial” category are Lincoln, York, Penobscot and Somerset counties.
Waldo County remains in the “high” transmission category, where mask wearing also is recommended. Washington County has moved into the “low” transmission category, joining Sagadahoc. All other counties are in the “moderate” category.
With a surge in cases and the more contagious delta variant spreading throughout the United States, more employers are mandating COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. Several private colleges and universities in Maine have also announced vaccination requirements for students and staff while the U Maine System has said they would plan to require the vaccine once full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval is granted.
All three of the vaccines currently available are in emergency use authorization. Full approval can take months but the New York Times reported Wednesday that the Pfizer vaccine could be approved by the start of next month.
In Maine, MaineHealth, the state’s largest health care network that includes Maine Medical Center in Portland, announced on Tuesday that COVID-19 immunization would be required for all employees by Oct. 1. Northern Light Health, which operates Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and Mercy Hospital in Portland, announced a similar plan on Monday. Millinocket Regional Hospital last week became the first hospital in Maine to launch a vaccine mandate for its employees.
“We feel very confident in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines,” said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer at MaineHealth, in an interview on Tuesday. “We need to act now to make sure patients and employees are protected.”
Major employers outside of health care also are starting to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employment, including Walmart, Disney, Facebook, Google and Tyson Foods. Also, some restaurants in Maine are starting to require vaccination for indoor dining, including Little Giant on Danforth Street in Portland, the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club on Market Street and Crown Jewel on Great Diamond Island.
This story will be updated.
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