ME Businesses with Safety Plans will Get Reopening Priority

Governor Janet Mills says protecting customer safety, through social distancing and other measures, will be important guidelines for reopening Maine businesses.

Governor Janet Mills commented on the gradual reopening of businesses in Maine, during Monday's COVID-19 press briefing, saying the decisions would be made by looking at each case individually. Any business that wishes to be considered for reopening is advised to submit their plan through the Department of Economic and Community Development's online portal. The request should include plans for social distancing, limiting the number of customers in the store, and minimizing employee-to-customer contact.

"Those businesses, organizations, or activities, that can operate safely, even in some limited, maybe non-traditional fashion, by minimizing in-person interaction among customers and staff, those businesses will be among the first to reopen," Governor Mills said during Monday's briefing. "Those that cannot do that will be among the last."

The governor added that if there is a spike in COVID-19 cases, once businesses begin to reopen, the shutdown orders will be reinstated. She hopes to have more on this plan, including a likely extension of the stay-at-home order, on Tuesday.