Officials in Maine are mourning the more than 1,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in their state.

An additional 18 deaths recorded since Saturday has pushed the official death toll in Maine to 1,002.

“Nearly 19 months after this pandemic began, today marks a grim and unwelcome milestone. Those we lost to COVID-19 are people we loved and cherished – parents, grandparents, siblings, children, loved ones and friends, all valued members of our Maine community. We mourn their passing and grieve for the moments they are no longer able to share with us,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement.

Mills asked for people to get vaccinated to protect the health of the people they love and to give medical professionals the much-needed break that they deserve.

There are currently 214 people hospitalized in Maine and 73 patients are in critical care.

Maine has a high vaccination rate, perhaps even the highest in the country. It is estimated that more than 99 percent of people over the age of 65 are fully vaccinated.

According to the state's official dashboard, 73.69 percent of all eligible Maine residents are considered fully vaccinated.

In neighboring New Hampshire, 1,462 people have died due to COVID.

Close to 95 percent of people over the age of 65 in New Hampshire are estimated to be fully vaccinated.

According to officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 672,738 people have died from COVID in America.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com. 

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