PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine hopes to find an alternative to coronavirus quarantines by the time lodging opens to out-of-state visitors this summer, as the Vacationland state contemplates a low-key kickoff to the summer season, official said Wednesday.
State officials hope to find a way to hold some scaled-down activities on Memorial Day weekend, but “we haven’t got there yet,” said Heather Johnson, economic and community development commissioner.
Officials also announced Wednesday that a food processing plant is the first non-health-related business to be hit with an outbreak of the coronavirus.
Tyson Foods is working with the state to test all workers at its Portland facility, the former Barber Foods plant, said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control. Eight workers had tested positive as of Wednesday, Shah said.
Johnson and Shah spoke to reporters as the state prepared to post online a checklist for businesses that can reopen May 1 during the first phase of restarting the state’s economy.
The first phase of an executive order includes elective health care procedures including dental visits, personal services like barber shops and hair salons, and outdoor activities like golfing and visits to state parks. The executive order, signed by Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday, also requires people to wear masks in public places where social distancing is difficult.
The state is flexible if there are other businesses that want to petition to reopen because they can do so safely, Johnson said.
Officials are also to open to accelerating the pace of reopening in rural areas that are largely unaffected by the coronavirus, she said.
As it stands, the state’s hotels and inns will reopen to state residents on June 1 and to out-of-state residents by July 1.
For now, out-of-state visitors are required to self-quarantine for two weeks, but the state is considering whether there are alternatives that could be in place before July 1, Johnson said.
“We are trying to find multiple options for tourism businesses and people who want to come to Maine, to find a way to do that. Quarantine is a last-case choice. We are actively working on some other choices,” she said.
