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Breaking News | April 28, 2020 |
Due to Governor Mills’ press conference this afternoon, Our Daily Impact newsletter will return tomorrow. |
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Governor Mills
Announces 4-Stage Plan to Restart Maine’s Economy – Stage 1 Begins May 1st |
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Governor also extends stay-at-home order with modifications
to allow for activities and business operations deemed safe |
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This afternoon, Governor Janet Mills presented her
Administration’s plan to gradually and safely restart Maine’s
economy. The plan, which comes as the State appears to be
successfully flattening the curve, establishes
four gradual stages of reopening, the first of which
begins May 1st. The stages Governor Mills outlined focus not on
essential vs. non-essential designations like those used
to originally limit business operations and
activities, but on the ability of a business to operate or an
activity to occur in a manner that protects public health and
safety. As the Administration gradually eases restrictions on
some businesses and activities, it also implements protective
protocols, along with broader additional health and safety measures, to
protect Maine people. To that end, the Governor also announced today
she will extend the State’s stay-at-home order in the
form of a new “Stay Safer at Home” Executive Order. The
new Order, which she will issue by Thursday, will continue
to have Maine people stay at home with limited
exceptions for already permitted activities, such as
grocery shopping or exercising. However, the new Stay Safer at Home
Order will also allow Maine people to visit businesses or participate in
activities that are deemed safe to open under Stage 1 of
the reopening plan. The Order will
extend through May 31, 2020 but is subject to
change. In
her press release, Governor Mills said, “I am proud
of the work Maine people have done to mitigate the spread of the virus
and to flatten the curve, but our work is far from 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. 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.” Department of Economic and Community Development
Commissioner Heather Johnson added, “This plan offers
a measured approach to restarting the economy that prioritizes what
is most important: the health and safety of Maine people. There is no doubt
these have been challenging times, but the Department will work closely and
collaboratively with our private sector partners to ensure that we are able
to reopen businesses in a manner that protects public health.” Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors was
also quoted in the Governor’s press release. “The Maine State Chamber of
Commerce appreciates the Governor’s thoughtful leadership throughout the
course of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Connors. “Our first concern, as
always, is protecting the health of Maine people, and we support the Governor’s
gradual approach to reopening the economy and her Administration’s commitment
to working closely and collaboratively across economic sectors to determine
how to do so safely. Maine businesses are eager to do their part to stem the
tide on this virus, and we look forward to our continued partnership to that
end.” Steven Michaud, President of the Maine Hospital Association
and Dan
Morin, Director of Communications & Government Affairs for the Maine
Medical Association also shared comments in support of the Governor’s
balanced approach and science-based public health focus in
considering reopening plans. The Governor’s plan establishes four
stages, focused first on resuming those business operations and
activities which can be conducted in a safe manner. This means that they
involve a low risk for potential transmission of the virus. The
earlier stages permit small businesses to reopen, but only
with additional safety precautions. Progression through the stages will
occur month-by-month, depending on the success of
previous stages. For
example, Stage 1 will begin on May 1, if
there are no new trends that change
the plan. Stage 2 will begin in
June, and Stage 3 will begin in July and
continue through August. Stage 4, which
lifts the most restrictions, will start at a point to be
determined in the future. A month-by-month breakdown of the
stages allows for sufficient time
to assess the effectiveness of the health and safety precautions
adopted and evaluate the potential need to adjust
course. However, the Governor stressed that the
month-by-month plan should not be considered a hard and fast
timeline. Throughout the process, the Maine CDC will monitor and
report to the Governor epidemiological data, such as case trends and
hospitalization rates, as well as health care readiness and
capacity, to inform decisions on the appropriateness of proceeding
through stages and lifting restrictions. If Maine CDC detects
a resurgence of the virus, the State will move quickly
to halt progression through the stages and reimplement
restrictions to protect public health and safety. As the Governor
outlined in her vision for restarting the economy, public health
considerations will be the foremost guiding factor in the reopening process. Here are the four stages of the Governor’s
Plan to Restart Maine’s Economy: The staged plan builds on the Governor’s current
Executive Orders, which already allows grocery
stores, pharmacies, financial institutions, home
repair services, child care agencies, and car repair services, among others to
operate, and then allows for the safe reopening of those businesses
not currently operating. STAGE 1 (May): Beginning May
1st, Stage 1 continues the prohibition on gatherings of more
than 10 people, the quarantine of all people entering or
returning to Maine for a period of 14
days, and the special precautions for older Mainers and
others at risk of COVID-19. It calls for people who are able to work from home to continue to do so, including
State employees. It will also newly require that Maine people
wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing
measures are difficult to maintain and continue strict
requirements for long-term care facilities. Guidance on cloth face
coverings will be issued in the coming days. Stage
1 also allows for the limited expansion
of certain business, religious, and quality of life
activities, with appropriate safety precautions. These include: ·
Health
care from Maine-licensed
providers, with recommendations that they prioritize care
for patients with time-sensitive conditions; assure the safety of patients, staff,
and communities; manage the use of essential resources such as personal
protective equipment and testing supplies; and pace re-opening services to
the level of community COVID-19 activity, maintaining capacity in our
hospitals for potential outbreaks · Personal services: Barber shops, hair salons,
and pet grooming ·
Limited drive-in,
stay-in-your-vehicle religious services ·
Drive-in
movie theaters ·
Outdoor
recreation: guided outdoor activities (hunting &
fishing) and restricted use of golf and disc golf courses ·
State parks,
state-owned public land trails, and historic sites (although
certain coastal state parks will remain closed) ·
Auto
dealerships and car washes STAGE 2 (June): Tentatively
beginning June 1st, Stage 2 contemplates revising the limitation on
gatherings from less than 10 people to less than 50 people. It
also calls for people who can work from home to continue to do
so but allows for employees in certain fields to
begin to reenter the office as needed, including State
employees. It maintains the 14-day quarantine for all people
entering or returning
to Maine and the special precautions for older
Mainers and others at risk of COVID-19. With appropriate safety
precautions, Stage 2 would allow for some degree
of opening with reservations, capacity limits, and other
measures for: · Restaurants ·
Fitness
and exercise centers and nail technicians ·
Retail
stores for broader in-store shopping ·
Lodging
and campgrounds for Maine residents and those who have met the
14-day quarantine requirement ·
Day
camps for Maine children and those who have met the
14-day quarantine requirement ·
Coastal
State parks STAGE 3 (July/August): Tentatively
beginning July 1st, Stage 3 contemplates maintaining the
prohibition on gatherings of more than 50 people and other Stage 1
and Stage 2 restrictions, including the 14-day
quarantine on people entering Maine. With appropriate safety
precautions, Stage 3 would allow for some degree
of opening for: ·
Lodging,
such as hotels, campgrounds, summer camps, or RV parks for
Maine residents and visitors. The
Administration is developing guidelines to assist them in
safely reopening, and reservations should not be taken until those
guidelines are issued. ·
Outdoor
recreation such as charter boats and boat excursions · Bars ·
Personal
services such as spas, tattoo and piercing parlors, and massage facilities,
among others STAGE 4 (Timeline Undetermined): Stage 4
contemplates lifting restrictions and allowing all businesses and
activities to resume with appropriate safety precautions. The stages outlined above are advanced as a
framework for planning. Innovations or expanded testing and other capacity
could accelerate this pace, as could a determination
that certain parts of Maine, such as some rural areas,
may be able to ease restrictions safely. At the same time, a surge
in COVID-19 in parts or all of Maine could result in significant
adjustments to this plan and a return to more restrictions. The Mills Administration does not currently anticipate
that it will be safe to accept cruise or commercial passenger ships with more
than 50 people this summer. The Administration will review this
assessment in September 2020. This prohibition excludes passenger ferries
working between Maine ports. Additionally, the Administration is
currently working with stakeholders to develop plans for a safe return to
school in the fall. Establishing Safety Precautions: In order to
reopen, various sectors of Maine’s economy will be required
to work with the Department of Economic and Community
Development to implement practical, reasonable,
evidence-informed safety protocols and modifications that protect the health
and safety of employees and customers. These accommodations may be as
simple as closing break rooms, providing flexible working
hours, employee training, and installing plexiglass shields, or as
complex as adjusting a business’ sales process and reducing
occupancy to ensure employee and customer safety. This collaboration between DECD and the private sector
will result in what will be known as a COVID-19
Prevention Checklists. These checklists will identify
best practices for the business specific to its operations as well as general
best practices related to physical distancing, hygiene, personal
protection, and maintenance of clean workplaces, among
others. The checklists, which will differ sector to
sector, will undergo a rigorous review process including from government
officials, health experts, and industry representatives. Once completed,
businesses that commit to complying with the requirements
on the checklist will be provided a badge to post on their
business door or website, their names will also be posted on the DECD
website and they will be allowed to open. Health providers in Maine
will follow U.S. CDC and professional association guidelines. It is important to note that the Maine CDC will be tracking
three primary metrics in its evaluation of whether or not to progress through
the stages: 1) a downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses and
COVID-like syndromic cases; 2) a downward trajectory of documented cases and
newly hospitalized patients; and 3) the capacity of Maine’s hospital
systems to treat all patients without crisis care and the ability of the state
to engage in a robust testing program. “The health and safety of Maine people will guide each
phase of this process,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “We’ll continue to work
closely with our colleagues at DECD on an approach that balances the health
of Maine’s people with the health of our economy.” The Administration will also continue to
evaluate standards outlined in the Governor’s vision
statement, such as testing capacity and contact tracing, to inform
decisions about proceeding. If
you have any questions or would like more information relating to the
Governor’s plan to reopen Maine’s economy, we are here to help and encourage
you to contact us at [email protected] or (207) 623-4568. |
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