Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine is updating its public health guidance to remove the requirement that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) recommends that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings where it is difficult to maintain physical distancing. Face coverings are still required for indoor public settings, and there are no changes to Maine’s physical distancing requirements at this time. The change follows updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the use of face coverings in outdoor settings. The change is effective immediately and relevant guidance documents will be updated in the coming days.
Maine has administered more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and is currently second in the nation in the percent of its population that is fully vaccinated, according to the Bloomberg tracker.
Additionally, according to Moody’s Analytics and CNN Business’s “Back to Normal Index”, Maine is best in New England in returning to pre-pandemic economic activity.