Maine CDC

Outbreaks in Florida and Idaho tied to single bar patrons show how easily COVID-19 can spread in a close atmosphere, and the state is watching those cases and may tweak the upcoming indoor reopening.

The money will accelerate completion of a 46,000-square-foot state lab in Augusta, allow rural hospitals to increase ability to test for both COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and spark a plan to allow businesses to offer drive-through testing.

The Portland chicken processing plant, formerly Barber Foods, has more than 400 employees and is the first business in the state that isn't a care facility to report an outbreak of the novel coronavirus.