Millinocket inn gets business license back as COVID outbreak investigation continues
Maine officials on Friday reinstated the business license of a Millinocket lodge and restaurant cited for violating COVID-19 health requirements but warned they may take action again in case of noncompliance.
Officials said they are also still investigating the outbreak, which stemmed from an Aug. 7 wedding and reception held at the Big Moose Inn and Frederica's Restaurant, and led to 123 reported cases of the disease as of Friday.
The number includes 54 cases at the York County Jail in Alfred and nine cases at Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center in Madison.
Big Moose last week became the first business in the state to be cited for violating Maine's indoor gathering limit of 50 people.
While no fines were issued, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, last week warned of financial penalties in case of further noncompliance.
On Friday, state officials found that Laurie Cormier, owner of the lodge and restaurant, had corrected all public hazards and retracted the temporary suspension of her eating and lodging license.
Lisa Silva, program manager of the Department of Health and Human Services Maine's Health Inspection Program, notified Cormier of the move in a letter last Friday.
But she also issued the following warning: "If you fail to comply with the governor's executive order and the DECD checklist, then the Department will immediately reinstate the temporary suspension of your license, which may lead to court action seeking a longer suspension or full revocation of your license, potential fines and payment of attorney fees incurred by the Department."
Cornier released a statement Friday, reported by general media outlets, admitting that Big Moose Inn "made an error" in interpreting the state's rules on indoor gathering limits by splitting a wedding party of more than 50 guests into two rooms.
She also said the staff had worked hard to follow all of the rules to the best of their understanding since opening for the season in May, including signage to let visitors know that protective face masks are required, the use of masks by staff, and increased sanitizing.
Friday's statement noted that Big Moose Inn has had all staff members tested or self-quarantining, and that none of the servers who worked the evening of the wedding had tested positive. Employees received 24 negative tests, two tests that are still outstanding and five self-quarantined, according to Friday's statement.
Contact tracing of two employees that had tested positive since the post-wedding dinner suspects they picked it up from an outside source, and those who have tested positive have completed their quarantine, according to Cormier's statement.
Other developments
Maine CDC said Friday that it has received reports for 5,245 COVID-19 PCR tests the day before, a new record, and that test volume is now 290 tests per 100,000 people.
As of Friday at noon, the Maine CDC recorded 3,910 coronavirus recoveries and 470 other cases, as well as 123 total deaths. Its seven-day weighted positivity rate, at 0.63 as of Friday, is among the lowest in the country.
While the Millinocket establishment is the state's only business so far to be cited for COVID violations, Aquaboggan Waterpark in Saco imposed a self-shutdown for the season citing "strict and inconsistent state violations."
It announced the move in an Aug. 29 Facebook post, saying "it is no longer possible for us to remain open while remaining in compliance with the change in guidelines."
It also said that while staff and guest safety has always been its top priority and it will always place public health above profit, "we plan to confront the inconsistency of the guidelines by working to create policy change rather than operate against them, but unfortunately this takes time."
The business said it will honor unused passes purchased for this year in 2021 and promised to discount renewals for season pass holders next year.
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