PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Public health authorities in Maine on Wednesday recommended everyone resume mask use in two counties in the state where transmission of coronavirus is elevated.
The guidance from the administration of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills follows new recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all people wear face coverings in indoor, public settings in areas of high levels of transmission. The guidance applies to everyone regardless of vaccination status.
York County, in far southern Maine, and Piscataquis County, in rural northern Maine, are two counties considered to have substantial levels of coronavirus transmission, Maine officials said. The other 14 counties are the site of moderate transmission, officials said.
Gov. Janet Mills encouraged everyone in the state to get vaccinated for coronavirus and wear face coverings in York and Piscataquis counties. She said the change in policy is a recommendation and not a requirement.
“We continue to strongly urge all people to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities by getting your shot. In the meantime, we recommend that Maine people follow the U.S. CDC’s updated public health recommendations,” Mills said in a statement.
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