Around New England

All Maine Restaurants Will Be Allowed To Conduct Indoor Dining Wednesday, June 17

June 16, 2020

Starting on Wednesday this week, indoor dining will now be allowed in every single county in Maine, as WGME-TV Channel 13 reports.

That means that indoor dining will resume for the first time since the start of the coronavirus outbreak shutdown in Androscoggin, Cumberland, and York counties.

Previously, only outdoor dining and takeout services were allowed in those counties.

Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, said it’s time but that the state needs to remain attuned to the virus.

“Maine people and businesses have worked hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and the stabilization of cases and hospitalizations in York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin counties help demonstrate that,” Mills said, according to WGME. “But this pandemic is not over. As we reopen restaurants for indoor dining and other businesses in these areas, we remain vigilant. Businesses must strictly adhere to health and safety protocols and all people should wear face coverings, stay six feet apart whenever possible, and frequently wash their hands. 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.”

As of Wednesday, Massachusetts will be the only state in New England not allowing indoor dining at restaurants.

Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, has said the state needs to go slow to prevent coronavirus numbers from spiking. But Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said the state’s businesses are at a comparative disadvantage.

“Once again, Governor Baker’s orders are not keeping pace with our neighbors. Countless Massachusetts businesses are struggling with the slow phased re-opening. Our state’s restaurants are being ‘phased out’ while they watch every other state in New England open up but not ours,” Craney said in a written statement Tuesday, June 16.