As economy reopens, Maine state chamber launches COVID-19 public awareness campaign

Courtesy / Maine State Chamber of Commerce A frame from a new public service announcement produced by the state chamber and soon to be aired on Maine television channels.

Write a Comment

By Renee Cordes

"This is ME counting on you," says a chorus of more than two dozen Mainers on a Zoom-like screen, followed by messages from individuals in different professions, telling viewers to be safe, act responsibly and stay healthy.

Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, completes the plea, saying, "So Maine can get back to business."

"And we can get back to work," is the response.

That's the opening of a short new video public service announcement produced by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, for a public awareness campaign called "This is ME Counting on You."

It encourages Mainers to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by donning masks and gloves and practicing social distancing, to ensure that businesses can reopen safely, people can get back to work and the economic recovery can begin.

The spot is to start airing on cable television stations soon.

A spokeswoman for the chamber told Mainebiz that while she did not yet have details of the planned cable run, the group has worked with Bowman Productions, of South Portland, to produce the video.

As part of the public awareness campaign, the chamber launched a website with resources and links to recommended health and safety guidance and protocols.

Printable posters are available for employers to place in their establishments to help provide reminders for employees, customers, and visitors to practice safe behavior. The initiative is also on Facebook with the hashtag #MECountingOnYou.

“Maine businesses take very seriously their role in keeping their employees and customers safe and preventing the spread or a resurgence of COVID-19,” Connors said in a news release.

“We hope ‘This is ME Counting on You’ serves as a reminder that every one of us also has an important role to play in defeating COVID-19," he added. "We are all in this together and are counting on each other to act safely and responsibly. That is the best way we can support one another, our communities, and Maine businesses so we reopen successfully, and economic recovery can begin.”

The effort is unrelated to a motivational "stay at home" pledge website for residents during the pandemic that grew out a grassroots move to flatten the curve, with online brainstorming sessions known as hackathons led by Portland insurtech startup MyHealthMath

That same group recently partnered with a digital health firm for a COVID-19 self-monitoring tool.

Regarding the chamber's public awareness campaign, MyHealthMath chief mission officer and physician Elizabeth Cote told Mainebiz she is glad to see and support all efforts encouraging people to adopt safe practices to protect themselves and others "from what we as medical providers are continually learning to be a more devastating and complex disease."

She also sees all evidence-based efforts that aim to mitigate risk as complementary, but said she would like to see the chamber going further, and maybe even work with her group to get the word out about self-monitoring.

"That could help employers take care of their workforce [and] employees take care of themselves," she said, "and people recover at home and prevent community spread."

Watch the Chamber's video spot online here.