PORTLAND, Maine — Maine is not planning to return to stay-at-home orders at the moment despite a rise in coronavirus cases around the state, public health officials said Monday.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said the state is in the midst of implementing new safety measures put in place by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills last week. Those include a requirement to wear a face covering in all public settings, regardless of the ability to socially distance.
Lambrew said “nothing is off the table” to stop the spread of the virus, but a return to the stay-at-home order Mills issued in the spring is not currently planned.
“Our goal is to keep public health as our North Star, but to allow people to engage in those essential functions and important functions as much as possible, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our goals,” Lambrew said.
The Maine DHHS also announced new testing sites at Portland International Jetport and Downtown Auburn Transportation Center. The new sites are the product of a partnership with Promerica Health, a DHHS spokesperson said in a statement.