Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced her plan to reopen the state’s economy, a plan that allows some personal services to open as soon as Friday and restaurants to reopen in June with some provisions.
The four-stage plan also includes a “Stay Safer at Home” executive order that is extended until May 31 and requires residents to wear face coverings in public in stage one.
The month-by-month plan can change if the number of COVID-19 cases increases again.
“We don’t know what will happen in the next days, weeks, months,” Mills said. “We may well have to start and stop and start again or change in a heartbeat to meet whatever challenge greets us with each new day.”
On Friday, health care providers, drive-in movie theaters, state parks, outdoor recreation, auto dealerships, car washes and personal services that include hair salons and pet grooming can reopen as long as they are following safety guidelines. Gatherings will continue to be limited to no more than 10 people, and the elderly and those are asked to stay home.
Anyone coming into the state will have to quarantine for 14 days.
Restaurants, fitness centers, nail technicians, retailers, day camps and Coastal State parks can reopen on June 1 with capacity limits and reservation guidelines. Residents who have met the 14-day quarantine requirement can visit lodging and campgrounds. Gatherings can include up to 50 people.
Stage 3 is expected to begin around July 1 and will continue to prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people. The state is developing guidelines that will allow lodging, hotels, campgrounds and summer camps to reopen safely. Bars and personal services including tattoo parlors and massage facilities can reopen.
No timeline was given for stage 4, which will reopen all businesses and activities with safety precautions.
The Department of Economic and Community Development will work with the private sector to develop COVID-19 Prevention Checklists.
Mills cautioned that the pandemic is not over.
“While this plan presents a path forward for gradually and safely restarting our economy, it should not lure Maine people into thinking that this pandemic is almost over or that things will be back to normal soon,” Mills said in a statement. “The hard truth is that they are not; that they likely will not be for a long time; and that, with this plan, we are inventing a new normal, a different way of doing business, shopping, traveling, and enjoying the Maine outdoors in ways that keep us all safe.”
The plan was backed by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Hospital Association and the Maine Medical Association.
Seventeen new COVID-19 cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 1,050. Fifty-one people have died.
