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Poll results

After much anticipation, Gov. Janet Mills has unveiled a staged plan to reopen Maine businesses that have have been temporarily closed by her public health restrictions. The plan establishes a timetable for allowing specific types of business to resume customer operations in May, June and July. Barber shops and hair salons, for example, can reopen on Friday, May 1, according to Mills' plan.

Some companies will have to wait until "stage four," which isn't yet scheduled, before doing so. The entire rollout is contingent on whether or not Maine continues to make progress in slowing coronavirus infection. And it's not clear how the state plan meshes with restrictions in Portland, now extending until May 18.

Are you willing, starting May 1, to again patronize hair salons, car dealers or other business allowed to reopen in Maine?
Yes (67%, 150 VOTES)
No (33%, 74 VOTES)
Poll Description

After much anticipation, Gov. Janet Mills has unveiled a staged plan to reopen Maine businesses that have have been temporarily closed by her public health restrictions. The plan establishes a timetable for allowing specific types of business to resume customer operations in May, June and July. Barber shops and hair salons, for example, can reopen on Friday, May 1, according to Mills' plan.

Some companies will have to wait until "stage four," which isn't yet scheduled, before doing so. The entire rollout is contingent on whether or not Maine continues to make progress in slowing coronavirus infection. And it's not clear how the state plan meshes with restrictions in Portland, now extending until May 18.

  • 224 Votes
  • 9 Comments
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9 Comments

  • April 30, 2020

    I agree with those who say one size does not fit all. Counties such as Aroostook, Piscataquis, Washington, Hancock perhaps could move to next phase sooner. Cumberland, York and Penobscot should wait till mid May before even phase one. Masks must be mandatory and the question asked of salon, barber shops, etc should be have you been out is State in the past two weeks.

  • April 30, 2020

    With the risk assessment and numbers so low in Maine with regards to the virus, I think the roll-out should be greatly accelerated. Let people make their own decisions about where to eat, drink, gather, etc. Maine should focus on the obvious hot-spots and demographics, and let the rest of the state recover sooner rather than later.

  • April 30, 2020
    Essentially doomed now because of the circumstances. 35-40% of restaurants will not survive this. Coastal tourist towns will suffer with the trickle down suffering effects leaching over to inland communities. The irony is the magical belief that 6 foot distances and relying on people to practice good hygiene will save the day. There is no way to sterilize the homes of all the essential works, and then each Stage 1,2,3,4 worker; therefore the latent virus will emerge. There is no absolute way to suppress the virus any longer. And there is no absolute way to know that it will not morph into an even stronger strain and come back in the fall. So the mitigation efforts, although they seem on the surface to be sincere and directed, are about as effectual is dropping one chlorine tablet into an Olympic sized pool. I estimate that it will take 10 additional months off quarantine to have that type of medication actually be successful. And there’s no state in the country they could afford 10 additional months of shut down. So it’s not a case where each month of quarantine leads to less cases; it’s a case where you’d have to spend at least 10 months in quarantine to have enough of an effect to be noticeable and classify as effective mitigation.
  • April 30, 2020
    Way too early - in Germany for example cases increased significantly after opening a bit. We should watch other states first. Frankly unto there is testing for all, and drugs that can ameliorate effects, we shouldn’t reopen. 1 asymptotic person (5-15% of population) at a hair salon could theoretically spread the virus to 4-5 people, they then infect another 4-5, who bring it home to their families, and so on.... I know it’s tough out there
  • April 30, 2020

    Opening the economy is so important; however, it depends on how safe customers will feel entering the business, and, until wide spread testing increases it might tough for some businesses to get back to normal.