The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has dropped to its lowest level since November 2021, and another two people have died of the disease, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 

New data released Thursday morning shows 294 people hospitalized with the virus in Maine. According to MaineCDC data, the last time that figure was under 300 was Nov. 23, 2021, at 298. The number of those in critical care continued dropping, from 66 reported Thursday to 64 Friday morning. The number of patients on ventilators went up, from 26 on Thursday to 31 reported Friday.

New coronavirus test results are still varying, with 7,864 new results Friday, after 8,731 reported Thursday morning. The positivity rate went from 11.3% reported Thursday to 9.3% on Thursday. 

MaineCDC also reported two new deaths, bringing the total statewide to 1,824. The victims, both men, included one 80 or older and one in his 70s. One man was from Cumberland County, and the other from York County.

MaineCDC is still working through a backlog of tens of thousands of COVID-19 test results for its official count, but reported 1,159 new cases Friday, a total of 185,773 since the pandemic began.