Joe Lawlor

Press Herald

Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press Herald. He is still considered “from away” but since then, he has learned what a “dooryard” is, eaten “whoopie pies” drank Moxie and boiled some “lobstahs.” The stories he enjoys most are when he learns something and meeting inspiring people. He lives in South Portland - aka “SoPo” - with his wife, Melanie, and two school-age children.

Latest

Published
February 15, 2022

COVID case numbers jump as state begins clearing test backlog

The new data does not represent current pandemic conditions, which are continuing to improve.
Published
February 14, 2022

COVID-19 hospitalizations, positive test rate continue sliding in Maine

School leaders and Maine health officials are discussing changes to mask policies and other pandemic guidelines as the omicron surge recedes.
Published
February 13, 2022

Last in line: Families with young children still waiting for vaccine access

Many parents whose lives have been on hold are ready to resume a more ‘normal’ life, but not all parents are eager.
Published
February 12, 2022

Portland lifeguard honored for rescuing swimmer who had heart attack

‘I just feel super lucky,’ Marcia Howell said of being saved by lifeguard Jeannette Strickland and others.
Published
February 9, 2022

Maine hospitals see substantial drop in COVID-19 patients

Total hospitalizations have dropped 30% in less than a month, and the number in critical care is down 47% since Dec. 19.
Published
February 8, 2022

School mask mandates are going away in other states. Will Maine follow suit?

As some look forward to an end of mask mandates in Maine schools, hospital patient counts remain high and the state says more federal help is coming.
Published
February 7, 2022

Maine’s COVID-19 hospitalizations, positive tests continue to fall

The number of patients in critical care also continues to decline and has dropped 41% from the December peak.
Published
February 2, 2022

Maine CDC ending contact tracing for COVID-19 during omicron wave

COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased again Wednesday and are down 21% since the January peak.
Published
February 1, 2022

Maine reports 13 more deaths from COVID-19 while hospitalizations decrease

In another metric used to measure pandemic conditions, wastewater testing in Yarmouth and Portland continues to show a downward trend.
Published
January 31, 2022

Number of COVID-19 patients in Maine hospitals jumps back up on Monday

However, wastewater testing in two southern Maine communities suggests the spread of the omicron variant is declining rapidly.