News

Quarantine tourists in Vacationland? Maybe not, after all

Quarantine tourists in Vacationland? Maybe not, after all

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine leaders are considering a “layered” approach instead of a 14-day quarantine for tourists who might be bringing the coronavirus to the state, its top economic official said.

Lifting the quarantine order will probably require a blend of testing, symptom checks, public education, and adherence to industry-specific guidelines and protocols, Heather Johnson, the state’s commissioner of economic and community development, told the Bangor Daily News for a story Wednesday.

“When you layer all of those together, you create a mesh that is intended to capture and really mitigate that risk,” she said.

The administration of Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, is working on a plan that incorporates several elements because there is no single answer to keeping residents healthy “when you go from 1.3 million people to 10 million people in a summer in Maine.”

Leaders of Maine’s tourism industry have tried unsuccessfully to overturn the 14-day quarantine order in federal court and have said they plan to appeal.

Latest Headlines

8 hours ago in Local

Maine Lawmakers Pass Bill to Let Jails Turn Away Some ICE Detainees

Governor Mills has indicated she will sign the bill.

9 hours ago in Local

Two Arrested in Gardiner for Drug Dealing, Gun Charges

Officers say they saw what looked like illegal drugs at the residence.

13 hours ago in Local

New Hampshire Man Dead in I-95 Crash in Newport

Maine State Police say they were on their way to assist a stopped car in the travel lane of I-95.

13 hours ago in Local

Casco Bay Lines considers another fare hike for passengers

Riding the ferry in Casco Bay could get more expensive as the ferry line considers a 21 percent increase for passenger fares.

13 hours ago in Local

Sen. Collins’ office says remark about not seeking another term after November was an “off-hand comment”

Sen. Susan Collins is walking back her comment that she would only serve one more term if elected in November.