Governor Mills Announces Loosened COVID-19 Guidelines for Maine
Maine Governor Janet Mills announced a new plan on Friday morning called "Moving Maine Forward".
This plan will instantly allow people from Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts to travel to Maine without doing a 10-day quarantine upon their arrival. Beginning on the first of May, all travelers, with the exception of those from states on the new 'exclusionary list', can come to Maine without the need to take a COVID-19 swab test or quarantining.
According to News Center Maine, the Governor's new plan seeks to boost the Maine economy, primarily through tourism. The plan calls for business and church capacity to significantly increase from 50 to 75 percent prior to the Memorial Day holiday. Mills has also announced a potential reopening date of Maine's bars and tasting rooms for March 26th. She went on to indicate that those establishments would still have to function under Maine's current "Seated Food and Drink COVID-19 Checklist".
Governor Mills said in part of a press release,
“Public health and economic health go hand-in-hand – and this plan aims to achieve both. By maintaining proven health measures, providing straightforward protocols, and establishing clear time-frames, this plan will protect the health of Maine people and visitors alike and support Maine’s economy during our critical tourism season.”
Even with all of these immediate changes as well as the scheduled changes, Mills said that it is still up to CDC officials to determine if Maine hospitals are at a capacity risk, and that those determinations could alter existing plans.
Below is a video of today's press conference where the new plan was laid out.
LOOK: Just some of the photos that capture the historic year that was 2020
LOOK: Milestones in women's history from the year you were born
Do you have our free radio station app yet? If not, it's the perfect way to request a song, talk to the DJs, enter exclusive contests and to stay up to date with everything that's happening in and around Central Maine and the world. When you download it, make sure you turn on the push notifications so that we can send you exclusive content and local breaking news that you need to know about first. Just enter your mobile number below and we'll send a download link right to your mobile device. After that, you can download for free and immediately begin accessing all kinds of exclusive content tailored just for you. Give it a try and stay connected with us!