FARMINGTON — Maine CDC has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 at Edgewood Rehabilitation and Living Center.

Robert Long, Maine CDC, in an email Wednesday afternoon, April 22, said, “Three individuals – two residents and one staff member – have tested positive for COVID-19. All residents and staff have been offered COVID-19 testing, and results of those tests should be available in 24 to 48 hours.”

An outbreak is defined by the CDC as three or more confirmed cases within a congregate living facility.

On Wednesday, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said during a news briefing that his agency had become aware Tuesday of an outbreak at Edgewood Rehabilitation and Living Center in Farmington. The Maine CDC offered test kits to the facility for the rest of the residents and staff. Swabs from those kits are being sent to the Maine CDC lab in Augusta for analysis, he said.

At least 123 residents and 67 staff members at long-term care and assisted living facilities in Maine have tested positive for the virus, including those in Augusta, Belfast, Falmouth, Farmington, Portland and Scarborough.

Wednesday the CDC reported three new deaths and 19 new confirmed cases, for a total of 907 cases, with 455 individuals recovered. That leaves 413 active cases and among those, 42 were hospitalized, with 18 in critical care and 10 on a ventilator.

Edgewood Rehabilitation and Living Center is located on Route 4. Edgewood is owned and operated by North Country Associates in Lewiston. Orchard Park Rehabilitation and Living Center in Farmington are among more than a dozen facilities it operates.

In June 2019, a fire at Edgewood displaced more than 40 residents. A malfunctioning ceiling fan in a bathroom was the suspected cause, Farmington Fire and Rescue Chief Terry Bell said at the time.

Related Headlines Coverage of how Maine confronts the coronavirus pandemic

filed under: