COVID-19 Outbreak At Maine Mill Reaches 18 Cases

Maine health officials say a COVID-19 outbreak at a pulp mill near the New Brunswick border is now linked to 18 cases of the virus.

The Calais Regional Hospital says 11 contractor employees, two Woodland Pulp employees and five household members have tested positive as of Monday.

Seven employees at the mill are Canadian residents, but none are reported to have tested positive to date.

In an interview last week, St. Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern said they are counting on residents on both sides of the border to act responsibly.

“You’ve just got to hope the workers were all told to be careful and practice social distancing and isolate if they’re supposed to. We’re just counting on the people in the community to look after themselves at this point,” he said.

The mill is located just across the border from St. Stephen in the town of Baileyville.