December is a superb time for gatherings, it’s a season of pleasure. A season of hope. A season of happiness. Right now of 12 months, individuals needs to be celebrating the vacations, at dwelling with their family members, or out looking for a present for the kids or grandchildren.
Sadly, nevertheless, whereas many people are planning to have fun the vacations, some will not be so fortunate. A whole lot proper now in Maine are preventing for his or her lives in hospitals and houses throughout the state.
Good day, that is Governor Janet Mills.
Greater than 100 individuals have died simply within the final sixty days, taken down by the lethal Covid virus, largely the virulent Delta variant. Most of these people simply didn’t take the straightforward step of vaccinating towards the illness that took their lives.
Others throughout the state are ready for well being care procedures in order that they may stay with out ache, or in order that they may obtain mobility, or in order that they may discover {that a} tumor is benign, or in order that they will get again to work and luxuriate in common household and every day life actions.
However our hospitals are being stretched skinny. Well being care is jeopardized for individuals who want it. And our well being care staff, heroic as they’re, are extra exhausted than ever, taking good care of individuals younger and outdated in important care, together with pediatric important care.
We’re at a tipping level.
That’s the reason this week I activated extra members of the Maine Nationwide Guard. In session with our well being care programs, I’m deploying them throughout Maine, on state orders, to increase our hospitals’ capability to deal with individuals with COVID-19 and different severe medical circumstances.
They are going to be serving to in sure nursing services to permit hospitals to discharge sufferers to these services. And they are going to be serving to with monoclonal antibody remedies which, if administered early sufficient, can preserve COVID sufferers out of hospitals.
Along with activating extra members of the Guard, I’ve additionally requested Federal COVID-19 Surge Response Groups on behalf of Maine Medical Heart in Portland and Central Maine Medical Heart in Lewiston underneath the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 Winter Response Plan. That is in session with these hospitals.
If authorised, groups of Federal clinicians, together with physicians, nurses, and authorized nursing assistants, will complement current workers and members of the Maine Nationwide Guard to offer look after these with COVID-19.
Taken collectively, we hope these actions will alleviate the pressure on our well being care system and supply higher care to those that are unwell. However we’re not taking something with no consideration, particularly with the upcoming arrival of the Omicron variant, towards which the present vaccines seem like efficient. And also you shouldn’t take something with no consideration both.
Subsequent week, members of the Maine Nationwide Guard will depart their households and houses and communities to affix our heroic well being care staff in stepping as much as meet the problem.
What’s unhappy is that we’re having to do that throughout this often joyful time of 12 months. December, the season of hope.
I hope that Maine individuals will step as much as the problem, too.
Get vaccinated, please.
And whether or not you’re vaccinated or not, put on a masks in indoor public settings. What’s the hurt? There’s no draw back.
Should you run a retailer or enterprise, be sure your workers are carrying masks to guard the general public and themselves.
Get vaccinated.
Do it on your well being, for the well being of an aged relative, for the well being of a small youngster.
Do it for our well being care staff, who bear the best burden of all. Do it for our Nationwide Guard who’re becoming a member of them.
Why take possibilities? Irrespective of the place you reside.
Getting vaccinated isn’t any totally different than placing on a shawl in chilly climate. Or carrying a tough hat in a development zone. Or security goggles once you’re welding.
It’s simply frequent sense. And sensible security.
This vacation season, give the present of well being.
Get vaccinated immediately.
The life you save could also be a small youngster’s.
The life you save could also be your individual.
That is Governor Janet Mills. Thanks for listening.