Reopening Maine's Economy

As of June 1, Maine has entered Stage 2 of the Governor’s plan to reopen the economy. As norms continue to shift, I want to make sure you know what this new stage means for you and your family. 

Under Stage 2, you are still asked to:

• stay six feet apart from people outside of your household
• wear a mask in places that are densely populated, or where it is difficult to maintain distance. When you visit retail establishments, there will still be limits on how many people can be in the space, so there may still be a line for entry. However, more establishments will be allowed to open up, all of which have received guidance from Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development on how to open safely. 
• stay home if you have any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g., cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell).

In this new stage, there is also more flexibility for groups of up to 50 people to be in one space, again presuming it’s a space where people can be six feet apart. That means you can sit in a restaurant at a safe distance from others or have a barbeque in your backyard if space allows. 

I hope these changes will allow us to resume some regular activities in our communities and provide some support for our economy, but we must continue to be vigilant about protecting public health. 

For a complete overview of the state’s reopening plan, please visit the “Restarting Maine’s Economy” website. Governor Mills and her administration have made several updates to this plan since it was first announced and will continue to do so as public health data changes and as we develop new solutions.

My e-newsletter may come less frequently, now that many of us are more accustomed to our strange new reality, but I will work to keep you apprised of important information.  As always, please know I am here to help with any issues you are facing, to listen to your ideas, or just to talk. All my best, Sarah Pebworth Serving District 133: Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Sedgwick, and Surry 207-479-4741 Sarah.Pebworth@legislature.maine.gov

“Hello, it’s CENSUS 2020 calling.”

The Blue Hill Peninsula continues to lag in our response to the U.S. Census.  As part of our community call-in program, we’re participating in a pilot project with Becky Boober to help more people submit their census information.  If you or someone you know would benefit from having a worker from the U.S. Census call, at a determined time and day, and collect information over the phone, we can set that up for you. Contact Anne Schroth at aschroth@healthypeninsula.org or 374-3257. A Census employee will be scheduled to phone at an arranged time to answer questions and assist in completion of the form.

Legislature Resumes Committee Briefings

The Legislature will hold a series of committee briefings in the coming weeks to discuss ongoing challenges related to the pandemic. Committees will initially focus on unemployment issues, challenges faced by agriculture and small businesses, the reopening of Maine’s economy, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and the impact on medical facilities, including the outsized impact on long-term care facilities. We are taking steps to ensure that these meetings follow best practices for public health and are accessible to both the press and public. More information is available here.

Governor's Economic Recovery Committee

The Governor's Economic Recovery Committee, charged with developing specific policy recommendations to stabilize the state’s economy and build a bridge to future prosperity in the wake of the pandemic, has begun meeting. Based on the framework of the state’s 10-year Economic Plan, the committee’s work will focus first on stabilizing and supporting the varied sectors of Maine’s economy through the crisis and then on how to get our economy back on track with the 10-year plan. Working groups for six broad sectors of the economy will consider the following questions: What is the status of the industry right now? What (if anything) does this sector need to survive the current crisis? How do we prepare this sector to thrive as envisioned by state’s 10-year economic development strategy? An initial report is due by July 15 for stabilization and support recommendations, with a final report due on Dec. 1 with recommendations to bridge the COVID-19 response to the economic plan released last year. If you would like to attend these meetings which are open to the public, you can find more information here.

Frequently Used Resources

Please see this set of resources to help with the most common COVID-19 problems Mainers are facing:

• A statewide COVID-19 response website that includes a directory of how each Maine agency is responding, as well as resources for health care, small businesses, education, family care and more.
• Maine CDC list of frequently asked questions are answered here.
• A website outlining Maine’s approach to restarting the economy.
• A COVID-19 Rental Relief Program which allows households that meet certain criteria to receive a one-time, up to $500 payment in rental assistance to be paid directly to their landlord.
• A Maine Department of Labor factsheet and COVID-19 webpage to help navigate unemployment insurance benefits. CEI has also put together a helpful website with tips for self-employed and other workers applying for PUA.
• A compilation of resources, updates and help created by Maine Equal Justice for Mainers trying to manage health care, food security, evictions, court proceedings and other issues during this time.
• Information and updates on child care, including a subsidy program for parents and guidance for child care providers.
• The website for small businesses to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the US Small Business Administration.
• Detailed information on the FAME COVID-19 Consumer Loan Guarantee Program offering low-or-no interest loans to qualifying applicants.
• A resource to get answers any time by dialing 211 (or 1-866-811-5695), texting your ZIP code to 898-211 or emailing info@211maine.org.