Maine Gov. Janet Millshinted Wednesday that her administration might soon modify its plan to allow restaurants to resume some operations.
Mills in March ordered the closure of restaurants for dine-in customers, allowing curbside pickup and delivery only.
The economic restart plan she released last week continues those restrictions until at least June 1, but Mills says some changes could be announced later this week that would allow limited operations before then.
"And we are thinking about making some changes before Memorial Day. I'd like to make some changes before Memorial Day," she says.
The governor also says Maine is working with neighboring New Hampshire and Massachusetts to explore ways to allow some restaurants to open amid the pandemic. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu announced last week that restaurants will be allowed to serve dine-in customers, in outdoor settings only, by May 18. Mills says outdoor dining is part of the discussion in her administration.
Mills also said Wednesday that business owners who defy orders designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 are putting the health of their customers and staff at risk and threaten to prolong the outbreak.
"When you potentially expose customers and staff to a deadly epidemic, a deadly virus, that can carry through the community in a heartbeat," she says. "Pretty near everybody in the state of Maine understands that."
Mills made no direct mention of theSunday River Brewing Company, whose owner defied the governor's order last week and read the governor's cell phone number during a segment with Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson. The owner was subsequently stripped of his food and liquor license.
Mills said most Maine residents and business owners are making significant sacrifices and are doing so to protect public health.
