PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine’s 16 counties are now in sync when it comes to reopening: Restaurants and fitness centers were allowed to begin welcoming guests inside in all of them on Wednesday.
Restaurant diners were urged to call ahead because some restaurateurs were sticking to outdoor dining for the time being.
Only 50 people are allowed in one room at a time; they also must be kept 6 feet apart, whether dining inside or outside.
Also Wednesday, bars, breweries and tasting rooms were allowed to reopen for outdoor seated service, while gyms, nail salons and tattoo parlors were allowed to welcome guests inside if they choose to do so.
Gov. Janet Mills announced the changes, saying new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations stabilized in Cumberland, Androscoggin and York counties, allowing the state to loosen restrictions.
The next phase of reopening, scheduled for July and August, is slated to allow indoor service in bars. There could be a similar regional approach to that roll out, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah said Wednesday.
In other news related to the virus:
THE NUMBERS
The state recorded another death due to the virus on Wednesday, bringing the total to 102. It also recorded 17 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 2,836.
The new death and cases came a day after the state saw its lowest new caseload since April. There were nine new cases on Tuesday.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
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SEAFOOD EMPLOYEES
Shah said there have been five cases of the virus among employees at Cape Seafood, a processing facility in Saco. However, the state has “very strong reason to believe” the facility itself is not the site of transmission of the virus, Shah said.
Shah said the state is investigating the outbreak, which appears to be among workers who carpool together. He said Cape Seafood has taken numerous steps to prevent transmission of the virus.
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AVOIDING LAYOFFS
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Maine Department of Labor are encouraging employers in the state to use the WorkShare program to try to reduce the number of layoffs.
The program lets employers retain employees during slowdowns in lieu of layoffs by temporarily reducing work hours by up to 50%, state officials said. Workers are then able to collect a partial or modified unemployment benefit.
Unemployment in Maine shot up to more than 10% in April. Using WorkShare can help employers “keep trained workers instead of having to institute layoffs, furloughs, or let employees go entirely,” said Maine labor commissioner Laura Fortman.
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