Courtesy/Office of U.S. Rep. Pingree
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District.
April 24, 2020
Mills lays out vision to reopen economy gradually, as businesses await more fed relief
Photo / Renee Cordes
Maine's stay-at-home order, which applies to all nonessential businesses including many retailers, remains in effect until April 30.
Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday laid out broad guidelines to gradually reopen Maine's economy, saying it will be driven by public health considerations and the wide availability of COVID-19 testing.
She also said the statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect through April 30 and did not set a reopening timetable, cautioning that moving too aggressively risks a surge of the deadly virus.
“We all want life to return to normal as soon as it is safe to do so. Our hearts break to see closed storefronts and people struggling to make ends meet because of this crisis,” Mills said in a news release.
“At the same time, we all know that reopening too soon and too aggressively is likely to cause a surge in COVID 19 cases, jeopardizing the lives of Maine people, overwhelming our healthcare system and further destabilizing the economy. None of us wants that.”
Mills said the approach will use criteria and measures currently under development by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention leading to a phased reopening of the economy.
In its planning, the Maine CDC will also develop measures to detect a resurgence in the virus that may necessitate bringing back restrictions.
Mills is also working with her counterparts in New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as other states, on regional coordination in lifting restrictions, in order to minimize interstate travel and additional public health dangers.
On the business front, the state Department of Economic and Community Development will seek input from various economic sectors on how they can develop practical, evidence-informed protocols for safely resuming activity once the public health benchmarks are met.
“These have been challenging times for Maine’s economy and as we work to reopen the state it will take thoughtful collaboration to ensure that we effectively prioritize public health while reopening businesses sectors," said DECD Commissioner Heather Johnson.
All Maine business owners, employees and residents are invited to share their suggestions related to reopening the economy online.
"We invite all Maine people to take part in the discussion,” Mills said in Thursday's news release. “Give us your specific ideas on how we can do things differently, how we can restart the economy and keep all our people safe and healthy. We want to hear from you.”
Latest on the $484B fed relief package
In a related development, President Donald Trump on Friday is expected to sign a $484 billion coronavirus relief package that will restart a depleted loan program for distressed small businesses.
The bill will add $310 billion to the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, which used up its $349 billion budget within two weeks.
The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (HR 266) also includes $25 billion for states to expand their COVID-19 testing capacity.
"Widespread testing is the best possible way to get Mainers back to work and help our economy rebound," said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, who flew to Washington Thursday morning to cast her vote in favor of the bill.
She added: "Our health care providers will greatly benefit from the new infusion of federal relief to both offset their losses and help them acquire much-needed personal protective equipment to keep our doctors, nurses and first responders safe."
Maine had 937 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday at 11:45 a.m. Of those, 485 people have recovered, according to the Maine CDC's website. There have been 44 deaths to date.
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