PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle City Council addressed rising COVID-19 numbers in Aroostook County in its meeting on Wednesday, inviting Northern Light A.R. Gould President Greg LaFrancois to address the council and public.
LaFrancois said Maine was heading into a second wave of COVID-19 cases, emphasizing that there were several difficult months ahead for a region relatively spared by the pandemic.
“I do believe that The County will not be spared in Round 2 like it was in Round 1,” LaFrancois said. “This next round will be difficult.”
He said his hospital had learned several important lessons during the eight months it has operated since the pandemic hit Maine in March, including how to maintain hospital operations during a pandemic. A.R. Gould is also performing more COVID-19 tests than ever — while 15 to 20 daily tests were once standard, it is currently testing 100 people a day, LaFrancois said.
Maine has recently seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases, setting single-day records for the virus in the state.
Aroostook County has had one of the lowest infection rates in Maine, with 77 total cases since March, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Disease.
Yet, cases have risen in recent weeks, going from two active cases on Oct. 27 to 14 on Saturday. Earlier this week, Caribou and Limestone schools moved to remote learning after two people tested positive at Caribou Technology Center. SAD 42 schools and the University of Maine at Presque Isle have also canceled in-person classes because of exposure to the virus.
The easiest way to fight the disease is to listen to what medical experts have said: wear a mask, social distance and wash your hands, LaFrancois said.
While most people in the Presque Isle area wear masks in public places, many do not do so. Several popular destinations — including Walmart — do not enforce mask-wearing. Noticeably, every member of the city council wore masks in Wednesday’s meeting.
“We have absolute control over how this is spread in The County,” LaFrancois said. “How difficult this is going to be.”
Presque Isle Councilor Craig Green — wearing an American flag facemark — reads a packet at the Presque Isle City Council meeting on Wednesday. (David Marino Jr./The Star-Herald)
LaFrancois last spoke to the council in April, when the pandemic was relatively new, and the city council was meeting over Zoom instead of at Presque Isle City Hall.
Besides the pandemic presentation, the council altered its rules for the planning board, adding two alternate members to the seven-member planning board and allowing the group to meet at a time suitable for all participants. The changes were made because of previous issues establishing a quorum of four members in meetings.
The council also approved liquor licenses for two well-known Main Street businesses: the Northeastland Hotel and Mai Tai restaurant.
Wednesday’s meeting came a day after Councilor Craig Green and Council Chairperson Kevin Freeman were re-elected to four-year terms, receiving 39 percent and 33 percent of the vote, respectively. The pair defeated Donald Gardner, who has served on the council in the past. Gardner came in third in voting with 27 percent.
About 10 people attended the meeting, including members of city staff.
