Bars and Gyms Among Businesses That Can Now Open in Rural Maine
Governor Janet Mills administration has accelerated the opening of several businesses in rural Maine based low case count trends. Tasting rooms and bars may open for outside service beginning on Friday, June 12th. Gyms and fitness centers, nail salons, and tattoo and piercing parlors may open for business with added health and safety precautions. These businesses may open in all counties except York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin Counties where case counts are still among the highest in the state and community transmission is evident.
The businesses were originally slated to reopen during stage 3 of the Governor's "Restarting Maine's Economy" plan. “Nearly a month after many businesses in these thirteen counties reopened, we continue to see low case counts in those counties,” said Governor Mills.
As a condition of reopening, these businesses must agree to follow the State's COVID-19 Prevention Checklists.
Dr. Nirav Shah announced on today's Zoom call that the total number of cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maine is now at 2,446, an increase of 28 since Wednesday. 2,181 of those cases are confirmed while 265 are deemed probable.
1,739 people diagnosed with COIVD-19 have recovered, an increase of 40.
No new deaths were reported, keeping the total number at 95.
The total number of active cases is 612, a decrease of 12.
291 patients have had to be hospitalized at some point. 35 are currently hospitalized with 14 of those in critical care and 17 patients on ventilators.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 tests that have been performed is 61,432 with a positivity rate of 4.82%.
Governor Janet Mills extended Maine's State of Emergency to June 11 allowing the state government to use resources to protect the health and safety of Mainers and to continue to receive Federal resources. The Stay Safer at Home Order is effect until further notice.
Stage 2 of Maine's phased plan to reopen the State began on June 1 and raises the prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people to 50. People who are able to work from home should continue to do so, and people should wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing measures are hard to maintain.
If the Maine CDC detects any resurgence of the virus, the state will slow down the stages and reinstate restrictions.
The counties affected by the current rural reopening plan are Aroostook, Piscataquis, Washington, Hancock, Somerset, Franklin, Oxford, Kennebec, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc. All of these counties have not had shown evidence of community transmission of COVID-19.
Restaurants in these counties may open for outdoor dining and for limited dine-in service providing they adopt health and safety precautions, such as physically distancing customers, making sure employees follow enhanced hygiene and sanitation practices and controlling customer flow by making reservations only whenever possible. Restaurants in Cumberland, York, and Androscoggin counties may open for outdoor dining and take-out only.
Retail stores statewide may now open to customers provided they adopt the health and safety precautions that the state is releasing. The precautions include restricting the number of customers in the store at any one time, enhancing cleaning and sanitation practices, and maximizing touch free transactions wherever possible.
<a href="https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine">For a more complete listing of the stages and the governor's layout of those stages, click here.</a>
<a href="https://www.maine.gov/decd/covid-19-prevention-checklists" target="_blank">Click or tap here to see the state's modified COVID-19 prevention checklist.</a>
If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, including a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, the Maine CDC says you should call your doctor before going in so that they can prepare for your arrival. The Maine CDC continues to update with new information daily. Keep checking on our mobile app or website to get the latest.