PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Vaccinations are coming to Maine’s islands.

Maine Seacoast Mission is providing island COVID-19 vaccination clinics starting this week with medical and support staff arriving on the organization’s 74-foot boat, Sunbeam.

“We have been anticipating this opportunity to serve since the first vaccine was announced last fall,” said Seacoast Mission President John Zavodny.

The organization is working in partnership with island residents, county officials, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mount Desert Island Hospital, and Pen Bay Medical Center.

The Sunbeam is equipped with health facilities including a medical grade refrigerator. Mission Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley said she’s starting with 150 doses for islanders.

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THE NUMBERS

The number of coronavirus infections continues to dip in Maine from its peak around the start of the year.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 97 infections on Monday, and the state’s 14-day positivity rate was 2.11. There were no deaths reported.

State health departments are calculating positivity rate differently across the country, but for Maine the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test specimens using data from The COVID Tracking Project.

The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 3.07% on Feb. 7 to 2.11% on Feb. 21.

Maine health authorities have reported more than 43,000 positive cases of the virus and 658 deaths since the start of the pandemic. ___

VACCINE PROGRESS

More than half of the people over age 70 in the state of Maine have been vaccinated, the Maine CDC’s director said.

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said Monday during an appearance on Maine Public that the use of multiple platforms has helped swiftly vaccinate older residents. That includes clinics, hospitals and other venues, he said.

Shah also said Monday that the appearance of virus variants in Maine and elsewhere is a concern but doesn’t have to be a disaster. Maine has been the site of two confirmed variants so far.

The state can keep up with the spread of variants by aggressively vaccinating the public, Shah said. The United Kingdom has said success doing that, he said.

“It’s not a reason for universal loss of hope,” Shah said.

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MAPLE SUNDAY

Maine’s celebration of all things maple is going to be held next month despite the pandemic.

Maine Maple Sunday, the state’s sugary tradition, was postponed last year. But this year it’s going on as scheduled on March 27-28 with precautions recommended by the CDC.

The event normally attracts thousands of people to more than 100 participating sugar shacks. Participants often are allowed to see how maple syrup is made and to sample candy and other products.

“This event is critical to the success of many family businesses and producers in Maine,” said Scott Dunn, president of the Maine Maple Producers Association.