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Breaking News | September 23, 2020 |
We are sharing these recent news releases |
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Mills
Administration Exempts Massachusetts From Quarantine or Testing
Requirement |
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While testing for travelers from Massachusetts and other exempt
states is not required, it remains a recommended practice to protect the
health and safety of visitors and Maine people |
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The
Mills Administration announced today that, effective immediately, travelers
from Massachusetts are now exempt
from the requirement to get a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for 14
days. The
decision comes after the latest review of public health information by the
Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Maine Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, which determined that Massachusetts now resembles
exempt states like Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey in its COVID-19
prevalence and positivity rate. Maine’s
quarantine or testing alternative requirement, as established by the Keep
Maine Healthy Plan, has helped protect the health and safety of Maine
people since its implementation over three months ago, and been replicated by
numerous other states since then, including Massachusetts. This change
includes Maine residents who may be traveling back to Maine from
Massachusetts after visits for services such as health care. “Protecting
the health and safety of Maine people has always been our first and foremost
goal,” said Governor Janet Mills. “We congratulate our friends to the south
on their progress in mitigating the spread of the virus and ask them to
continue to take all the appropriate precautions, as we know they will, to
protect their health and safety and that of Maine people.” “Maine’s
policy has helped us protect our residents from COVID-19 while maintaining
safe travel to and from other states,” said Health and Human Services
Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew. “We welcome
Massachusetts’ addition to exempt states while urging extra caution for
travelers coming or returning to Maine from other states.” “Recent
data show that the transmission risk in Massachusetts is similar to that in
Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of
the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “We still recommend that
people traveling from those states to Maine take advantage of readily
available testing options as the best way to ensure the safety of Maine
residents and visitors.” The
Mills Administration continues to strongly recommend that visitors from
exempt states “Know Before You Go” and obtain a test before visiting Maine,
for their safety and that of Maine people. Yesterday,
Governor Mills announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human
Services has broadened
its Standing Order to allow anyone in Maine to now get tested for
COVID-19 without the need for a separate order from a health care provider.
Visitors can find COVID-19 testing
sites near them via the website https://get-tested-covid19.org/. Those taking reservations for lodging
facilities in Maine are asked to advise all visitors that testing is
encouraged, even if no longer required for people coming from certain exempt
states. “Massachusetts
visitors play a key role in our tourism economy,” said Department of Economic
and Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson. “We are hopeful for a
strong fall tourism season as well as a robust ski season, and we are looking
forward to Massachusetts residents being able to safely visit Maine.” With
the vast majority of Maine’s economy reopened under Governor Mills’
Restarting Maine’s Economy Plan, with Maine schools reopened, with 96 percent
of child care providers reopened, and with more people interacting, it is
critical that everyone take steps to protect themselves, their businesses,
and others by wearing face
coverings, keeping six feet distance whenever
possible, and washing hands often with soap and warm
water. As
of September 22, 2020, Maine, adjusted for population, ranks 2nd lowest in
the nation in terms of positive cases; 5th lowest in the nation in terms of
deaths; the lowest in terms of patients ever-hospitalized out of the 36
states reporting; and 10th highest in the percentage of people who have
recovered out of the 45 states reporting. |
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To Protect the
Health of Students and Staff, Governor Mills Announces Additional Financial
Support for School Systems Across Maine Earlier today, Governor Janet Mills dedicated
an additional $164 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to support
school systems as they continue to implement health and safety protocols
to protect students, staff, and their families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
These new funds build on the Mills Administration’s initial investment of
$165 million earlier this year. Read more... |
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Mills
Administration Broadens Standing Order to Allow Anyone in Maine to Get Tested
for COVID-19 State's
vastly expanded testing capacity must still be used wisely On Tuesday, Governor Janet Mills and
Commissioner of Health and Human Services Jeanne Lambrew
announced that anyone
in Maine can now get tested for COVID-19 without the need for a separate
order from a health care provider, a milestone resulting from Maine's vastly
expanded testing capacity. |
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