PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Friday that the state of civil emergency that she declared at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic will expire at month's end.
The Democrat called the end of the emergency orders put in place 15 months ago “a welcome milestone" that demonstrates the state's progress in getting people vaccinated and reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
“Today, we take another important step forward in our return to normal,” the governor declared.
More than 73% of those 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and about 65% are fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. CDC vaccination tracker.
The governor said she extended the civil emergency order, due to expire on June 13, a final time through June 30 to ensure an orderly transition out of the emergency.
The state’s last remaining mask requirement, which only applies to students from elementary through high school while indoors, and in child care settings, will also end on June 30.
In other pandemic-related news:
THE NUMBERS
The number of COVID-19 infections continues to decline in the state as the Maine CDC reported 38 infections on Friday.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has declined over the past two weeks, going from 127 new cases per day on May 26 to 66 new cases per day on June 9.
All told there have been more than 68,000 infections and 844 deaths, including a new one reported Friday, in Maine since the pandemic started, according to the Maine CDC.
SUDS 'N SPORTS
Maine's COVID-19 vaccination clinics are targeting young people at baseball games and breweries.
Northern Light Health had a pop-up clinic at the Portland Sea Dogs game Thursday night. And a mobile vaccination clinic operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up shop through the weekend at the Rising Tide brewery in Portland. Next week, MaineHealth will be sponsoring a clinic at Maine Beer Co. in Freeport.
It's important for young people to be vaccinated because they're part of the demographic that's being hospitalized, said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.