Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday extended the state of civil emergency through June 11.

The 30-day extension is the second such extension of the civil emergency in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The State of Civil Emergency allows state government to deploy all available resources to protect the health and safety of Maine people and to respond quickly and as-needed to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mills said in a news release.

The designation allows the governor more flexibility in devoting state resources to combat the pandemic. It also allows Maine to access federal aid that helps to equip front-line workers with protective equipment.

The continuation of the civil emergency is separate and apart from the other executive orders and the governor's plan to reopen the economy.

As of Wednesday, there have been at total of 1,515 cases of coronavirus in Maine, according to official state statistics. There have been 66 deaths among Mainers.

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