AUGUSTA, Maine (WGAN) Governor Janet Mills announced changes to her plan to re-open the state on Friday.
Calling it the Rural Reopening Plan, Mills on Friday said all of Maine’s counties excluding York, Cumberland, Penobscot and Androscoggin counties, where community spread of Covid-19 has been confirmed, will get a head start on opening some businesses. That includes retail stores in those counties, which can begin allowing customers inside beginning Monday, May 11th.
Those businesses will need to continue practicing safety precautions, including limiting the number of customers in the store at one time, enhanced cleaning practices, and touch-free transactions whenever possible.
The new rules also apply to dine-in eating at restaurants in those rural counties, which can begin the following Monday, May 18th.
Along with these changes, Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development also released guidelines on Friday for retail stores and restaurants in those counties to follow as they re-open. Those guidelines can be found here.
Additionally, remote campsites as well as sporting camps, which provide access to wilderness activities such as canoeing, hiking, hunting or fishing, are also permitted to open with public health safeguards in these same counties only on Monday, May 18th to Maine residents or those who have completed the 14 day quarantine.
The changes come a day after Governor Mills announced the state would be able to more than triple it’s coronavirus testing capacity, thanks to a new partnership with IDEXX Laboratories. Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah says increased testing helps determine the prevalence of coronavirus in certain areas, and will make it easier to monitor any potential spread.
“With low case counts, no evidence of community transmission, and, now, expanded testing capacity, we believe it is appropriate to gradually lift some limitations on certain businesses in our rural counties with health and safety precautions to protect public health,” said Governor Mills.
“Small businesses are the backbone of rural economies, and we are glad that expanded testing allows for additional rural businesses to more safely open while following guidelines that will help keep Mainers healthy,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “Businesses have given us constructive suggestions on how they can improve the safety of their work, and we look forward to that continued engagement as we examine how to reopen the economy while protecting public health.”
Retail stores in York, Cumberland, Penobscot, and Androscoggin County are still required to wait until June 1st to begin allowing customers in stores, but curbside pickup and delivery is still allowed until then.
