PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Effective Saturday, all states will be exempt from Maine’s COVID-19 travel requirements.

The state is exempting all states from testing and quarantine requirements but that could change based on the spread of variants, said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The policy change is based on a successful travel season last summer where there was little transmission of COVID-19 from visitors to Maine. The introduction of vaccines also played a role in the decision, he said.

If states see a spike in cases of highly contagious COVID-19 variants, Maine will reinstate quarantine and testing requirements, Shah said.

Regardless of the policy, it’s a good idea to be tested when returning to Maine from an out-of-state visit, he said.

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