Another Maine resident has died of COVID-19, and the state reported six new cases of the disease Tuesday.

State officials also announced more funding to help cities and towns with public education related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Maine’s relatively low infection rate means it is among the states best-positioned to control the spread of the virus and successfully reopen schools.

Although six new cases were reported by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the net increase was actually only one case. The agency subtracted cases from the previous day, which is usually done because cases initially listed as probable turn out to be negative. On Tuesday, after that adjustment, the total number of cases rose from 4,049 to 4,050.

Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC director, said the low case number is a good sign, but with the virus raging in other states and increasing in nearby states like Massachusetts, Maine must keep “two feet on the gas.”

“Maine is not an island,” Shah said at a news briefing. “Even though things are encouraging from an epidemiological standpoint, we are simultaneously seeing states just hundreds of miles away with more new cases and higher positivity rates. Those cases brewing there could easily find their way to Maine.”

Meanwhile, 23 more Mainers have recovered from COVID-19. The death was a woman in her 90s from York County.

A man gets onto a Portland Metro bus on Congress Street last week. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced $4 million in federal funding Tuesday that will be distributed to cities and towns across the state for public education on mask-wearing, social distancing and proper hygiene. The $4 million is on top of $9 million granted in July. A total of 132 cities and towns have received funding.

One example is a “masked moose” that will soon be used in Bethel, including at the schools.

“The distribution of targeted messaging through an illustrated and live moose brand will be memorable. There is always a lot of buzz about seeing a moose,” said Loretta Powers, Bethel town manager, in a statement.

Maine is one of only six states – all in the Northeast – considered to be “trending better” by the COVID Exit Strategy website. The website, run by several public health experts, looks at several metrics, such as virus prevalence, testing and the percentage of positive tests.

Maine has the second-lowest infection rate in the country, at 1 case per 100,000 people over the past seven days, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute. Only Vermont has a lower rate at 0.8 cases per 100,000. States with high positivity rates, including many in the South and West, are at 20 cases per 100,000 or higher.

Jeanne Lambrew, Maine’s health and human services commissioner, said because of the higher positivity rates in other states, Maine officials will not let up on protection efforts. When asked at the briefing when bars would reopen, Lambrew said she couldn’t predict what will happen this fall.

“We cannot let our guard down,” Lambrew said.

Asked whether Maine will follow Vermont and replace high school tackle football with seven-on-seven flag football this season, Lambrew said fall sports are under discussion, and health officials follow trends and examine what other states are doing.

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