A DAILY DIGEST OF MAINE NEWS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021 — ISSUE #71
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Daily Monitor, an evening email newsletter that recaps the most relevant news and information from our editorial team and from our media partners around the state. The Daily Monitor is a product of The Maine Monitor and the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting.

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CORONAVIRUS IN MAINE
31,958 TOTAL CASES (An increase of 808 from Wednesday)
461 DEATHS (An increase of 8 from Wednesday)
808 NEW DAILY CASES (A decrease of 16 from Wednesday)
19,657 TOTAL ACTIVE CASES (An increase of 769 from Wednesday)
207 CURRENTLY IN HOSPITAL (An increase of 4 from Tuesday)
66,487 MAINERS VACCINATED (An increase of 4,483 from Wednesday)
TOP STORIES
Maine is planning to send between 175 and 200 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week, where they will join thousands of other guardsmen providing security after a mob supportive of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol last week.

Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, authorized the deployment after the National Guard Bureau requested states assist with security operations. The specialities of Maine’s guardsmen and role they would play in Washington were not immediately clear on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re proud to join our brothers and sisters from across the country to support the peaceful transition of power and ensure the safety and well-being of our fellow Americans,” said Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, Maine’s adjutant general, in a news release Wednesday.
Another eight Mainers have died as health officials on Thursday reported 808 more coronavirus cases across the state.

Thursday’s report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 31,958, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 31,150 on Wednesday.

Of those, 26,334 have been confirmed positive, while 5,624 were classified as “probable cases,” the Maine CDC reported.

An Aroostook County resident, two Cumberland County residents, three Penobscot County residents and two York County residents have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide toll to 461. Nearly all deaths have been in Mainers over age 60.
Fraught national politics and the same type of disinformation that played a role in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot last week are colliding with more traditional advocacy efforts among Republicans in Maine as they look to affect state politics from a minority position.

Conservative rallies outside the State House became a regular feature over the last year amid opposition to Gov. Janet Mills’ coronavirus policies and several small ones of late have also referenced President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election. But such demonstrations have come under increased scrutiny following the riot by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol last week that ended in five deaths, including a police officer.

Republican leaders in Maine quickly condemned the violence in Washington, with the state party characterizing it as “an affront to our Republican values.” But many had previously declined to recognize President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the November election or parroted claims of voter fraud that were at the foundation of rioters’ grievances.

Many Republicans, who are in the minority in both legislative chambers, now walk a narrow line as honest efforts to increase political participation and address longstanding concerns meld with falsehoods relating to Trump’s presidential loss, anger among some of his supporters and broad concerns about political violence in the aftermath of last week’s attacks.
Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday announced changes to Maine’s plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccine doses across the state.

Mills said that after consulting with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the state will dedicate the limited vaccine supply to older Mainers, beginning with those 70 and older; additional emergency service personnel; and people who support infrastructure critical to Maine’s COVID-19 response.

The governor said the updated strategy also focuses on adults of all ages with high-risk medical conditions that place them at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19.

Mills said the changes are targeted toward preventing serious illness and saving the lives of Maine people. She added that new recommendations announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services appear to align with Maine’s vaccine strategy.