Welcome to the Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force website. Our goal is to provide you with accurate and useful Covid information and resources. Please send questions or suggestions to info@bewellyarmouth.org
Vaccine Clinic For Young Children—Sunday, July 24, 3 to 5 pm
The Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force is planning a vaccine clinic for children as young as six months old. This clinic will be for all ages, from children six months and older looking for their first vaccines, to older adults needing booster shots, and everyone in between. If you are interested in participating in our vaccination clinic, stay-tuned for online registration in the coming days. We’ll post on Facebook when it goes live.
If you have young children and are in need of a vaccine, please complete the following short survey so we can gauge the interest in our community and the best time to hold the clinic.
https://forms.gle/gXAsQguUpKevTXfq8
TESTING
We strongly recommend keeping Covid tests at home – ideally 2-3 tests per person.
Looking for a testing site?
This Maine.gov page lists testing sites. There are often next-day appointments available.
Local options include:
Curative at the Jetport (walk-ins are possible but appointments take precedence)
VACCINATION
Vaccination is the most effective way to protect you and your family from COVID-19.
Although your PCP may be offering vaccines, you may well find that it’s much quicker to get them at a local pharmacy such as Hannaford, CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart.
Vaccines are free but make sure you check whether an appointment is required.
Maine's Dr Shah talks about why you should get a Covid booster.
TREATMENT
Treatment is available! Contact a health professional right away after a positive test (of any kind, including home tests) to determine if you are eligible, even if your symptoms are mild right now.
Don’t wait until you’re very ill.
The treatments for COVID-19 need to be used in the first few days after symptoms begin, typically within the first 5–7 days.
Options:
contact your primary care doctor
or contact one of the many sites in the State that offer testing, evaluation, and treatment (see list).
or call the Community Vaccine Line 1-888-445-4111 which is staffed 5 days a week and can help answer questions how to get Covid therapy.
This Medical Conditions CDC page lists some of the conditions that may qualify you to receive Covid treatments.
Questions…?
News
Yarmouth’s Wastewater Covid Testing Explained - 7pm, Thurs June 9, 2022
Why are we testing Yarmouth’s sewage for Covid and what can it tell us about Covid in our community?
Gib Parrish and Dan Ostrye will outline the past and current wastewater testing program for Yarmouth and how Covid trends can be spotted. Yarmouth was early to wastewater testing as a way to identify Covid trends, first through a contract with St. Joseph’s College, they now are part of a larger Federal program. This powerful tool can identify trends as home-testing becomes so prevalent. The official Maine case counts can underestimate the prevalence of Covid in our community.
At 7pm, Thursday, June 9, Gib and Dan will spend forty minutes explaining the process of tracking our viral trends, then open up the discussion to questions. Tune in via Zoom to understand the ins and outs of this important program.
Members of the award-winning Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force, from left, Dale Shields, Gib Parrish, Margaret Downing and Carla Hunt, with Rep. Art Bell, D-Yarmouth, who nominated the group for the award.
Yarmouth’s COVID-19 task force wins state award (Press Herald)
The Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force is the winner of this year’s Public Health Program of Excellence Award from the Maine Public Health Association. “It’s a great honor and a real tribute to the many people in Yarmouth who volunteered to make all the activities that we’ve been involved in possible,” said Margaret Downing, one of four founding members of the 100-member task force.
The task force was honored for its “leadership, collaboration, and volunteer efforts to serve the needs of the Yarmouth community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Rebecca Boulos, executive director of the MPHA.
Covid Task Force update, May 6th 2022
Info about how to find treatment for Covid, how Covid is affecting Yarmouth, what has happened to wastewater testing, and more.
A guide to accessing crucial COVID-19 treatments in Maine
The Bangor Daily News has written an excellent article on who is eligible for Covid-19 treatments in Maine, and where and when to get treatment.
Read the article on the BDN site or download a PDF of the article.
Wastewater test reporting has restarted.
Reporting on our new CDC-funded wastewater testing program is now available once again.
Rapid Covid testing in Yarmouth is currently paused
As a result of the current combination of low cases and easy-to-access home tests, we are pausing our walk-in Covid testing program in Yarmouth.
We are stocked and ready to restart community testing popups as soon as the need emerges.
Order your free Covid tests from the government
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Federal government tests
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 free at-home tests.
If you already ordered your first set, order a second today.
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Maine state government tests
Free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits to MAINE residents while supplies last.
About Us
The Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force is a grassroots organization working in collaboration with Yarmouth and Cumberland County service organizations to assist with the disruptions and uncertainties caused by the Coronavirus epidemic.
The Task Force has set up and run COVID Testing clinics, initiated a Community Conversation for coping with Covid-19 through the winter, organized a drive-through flu shot clinic, started wastewater testing as a means of detecting ambient Covid-19 levels, developed and staffed a help line for those in need of groceries, rides and other services.
We stand together to help the increasing number of people who may experience food shortages, social isolation, medical and transportation needs in the wake of this coronavirus epidemic.
To volunteer, email volunteers@bewellyarmouth.org.
The Greater Portland Council of Governments put together a video celebrating the volunteers and municipal workers who have helped our communities in the past year, and Yarmouth was included.
