Cumberland, York, Androscoggin eateries to open for indoor dining
Photo / Renee Cordes
Restaurants in Androscoggin, Cumberland and York counties, which have been closed to indoor dining since March, can allow seated customers inside beginning Wednesday.
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Indoor dining will be allowed at restaurants in Androscoggin, Cumberland and York counties starting Wednesday, Gov. Janet Mills said Monday, as COVID-19 metrics in those counties continue to trend downward.
Restrictions for other businesses, including bars, and limits on customer capacity in retail stores were also loosened.
The three counties, among the state's most populous, had been limited to outdoor dining, take-out and delivery as COVID-19 cases spread through community contact. But cases in those counties have plateaued, as have hospitalizations of those with the virus, so restaurants can join those in the rest of the state in allowing indoor seating, with capacity and other restrictions designed to protect the health of staff and customers.
Bars, breweries and tasting rooms can open for outdoor seated service in the three counties as well, and gyms, nail salons and tattoo parlors may also reopen, all with added health and safety protocols.
The state also expanded the capacity limits at retail establishments across the state, allowing up to five customers per 1,000 square feet. The previous limit had been five for 7,500 square feet and less. The decision to allow more retail customers comes "given the decreasing risk associated with retail shopping and the assumption that stores will continue to require staff to wear cloth face coverings and follow strict public health precautions," a news release from Mill's office said.
All businesses must follow measures set out in health and safety checklists issued by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
The limits in the three counties as the other 13 opened to indoor dining have been a point of contention, and four restaurant owners in the rural areas of York and Cumberland counties had sued the Mills administration, asking to be allowed to reopen. The restaurants — the Morning Glory and Campfire Grille, both in Bridgton; Old Mille Tavern, in Harrison; and the Shed and Willy's Ale House, in Acton, both with the same owner — are all close to Oxford County.
Restricting their operations while others nearby could be open violated the equal rights protection of the 14th Amendment, the plaintiffs claimed. The suit was due to be heard in court this week.
Breweries in May had also urged the state to allow them to open to outdoor customers on June 1.
Indoor vs. outdoor risks
Indoor dining poses more of a potential to spread the virus because air doesn't circulate as well indoors and people are sitting in one place for an extended period. The state requires restaurants to offer spaced tables, plastic barriers, servers wearing face coverings and other measures to mitigate the spread.
Even with these measures, people are urged to follow precautions when dining inside given this risk. Health officials have said that bars pose a greater risk because people are in even closer proximity, often for longer periods of time, and noise levels often require people to talk louder, which emits more particles into the air.
The loosened business requirements also came with a reminder that everyone in the state follow social distancing and health and safety requirements issued by the state, as well as recommendations from the U.S. and Maine officials. The recommendations include wearing cloth face coverings, staying 6 feet apart whenever possible and frequently washing hands with soap and warm water.
"New research demonstrates that wearing face coverings can significantly slow the spread of COVID-19, underscoring the importance of wearing them," the release said.
Maine's reopening is on par, or ahead of, other states in the Northeast, the release said.
Adjusted for population size, as of June 14, Maine ranked ninth-lowest in the nation in positive cases; 12th-lowest in the nation in deaths; sixth-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 42 states reporting.
COVID-19 uptick 'likely' with reopening
The reopening announcement came with a warning that it is possible, if not likely, there will be an uptick in cases as a result of increased interaction between people. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to monitor the epidemiological data, including case trends, hospitalization rates and reports of COVID-like symptoms, as well as health care readiness and capacity.
"If a review of these metrics in their totality and in context finds evidence of a concerning increase in COVID-19, the administration may move swiftly to limit harm and protect Maine people, including the potential rollback of indoor dining or other sector-specific re-openings in a region or community," the release said.
Mills also said that Maine people and businesses have worked hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. "But this pandemic is not over. As we reopen restaurants for indoor dining and other businesses in these areas, we remain vigilant. If we continue to protect ourselves and one another by taking these steps, we can reopen our economy in a safe way and limit the spread of this dangerous virus.”
Nirav Shah, director of Maine CDC, said that behavior of the state's residents has helped keep the virus at bay. “Maine people have limited potential spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 by being responsible in physical distancing, wearing face coverings and handwashing since March, and we trust that high level of responsibility will continue as restaurants throughout the state reopen.”
Cases, hospitalizations plateau
In Androscoggin County, which is fifth in population in the state at 108,000 people but includes the urban center of Lewiston-Auburn, the average number of new daily cases began increasing in early May, state health officials said. But the level over the last two weeks has plateaued to roughly 10 cases per day. An average of five people a day are hospitalized with COVID-19 at any one time in the county, with two in intensive care.
Cumberland County, the state's most populous with 291,000 people, had a gradual increase in cases in May, with another increase in late May related to an outbreak at Cape Memory Care in Cape Elizabeth. In the past week, the number of new daily cases has stabilized at roughly 20 per day. Hospitalizations reached a peak in late May, mostly tied to the outbreak at Cape Memory Care, but are now holding at about 25 patients, with an average of seven a day in intensive care.
In York County, the state's second-most populous at 203,102 residents, new daily cases are averaging from five to seven per day, state officials said. Hospitalizations peaked in late May, with an average of five ICU patients and three non-ICU patients. In the past week, the number has dropped to three of each at any one time.
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