PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The day has arrived for Maine residents who want to stop wearing a mask.

The state’s new guidance about mask use during the coronavirus pandemic takes effect on Monday. Mainers no longer have to wear a face covering in most indoor settings, except for schoolchildren 5 and older.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, made the decision in mid-May to align the state rules with the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state is also lifting physical distancing requirements at indoor public settings where people are eating or drinking, such as bars and restaurants.

Monday is also the first day for several other newly relaxed pandemic requirements. That includes a removal of all capacity limits in public settings, whether indoor or outdoor.

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Maine officials are still recommending that people who are not yet vaccinated against coronavirus wear a mask indoors.

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