Head of Maine CDC says state is "raising the line"

Thursday the head of the CDC thanked everyone in the state for staying the course and not only flattening the curve, but also "raising the line."

Raising the line refers to the amount of space available for potential patients and hospital staff available to treat them.

Dr. Nirav Shah says that since January the number of medical field volunteers willing to help in the fight against coronavirus has more than doubled in Maine.

He says people are also continuing to adhere to the stay at home order.

"All of this has helped us significantly raise the line," said Shah. "So, whenever we hit that peak, whenever that may occur there is sufficient capacity in the system so that healthcare providers in Maine can continue keeping everyone in the state safe. So, I would like to personally thank everyone for those efforts. Flattening the curve is still important but raising that line is just as critical."

Shah also thanked the National Guard and Maine DOT for their assistance in shipping PPE throughout the state, particularly to long-term care facilities that desperately need it.

He called them Maine's own FedEx.