Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced yesterday that as of Tuesday 13 October the state will enter Stage 4 of her Plan to Restart Maine's Economy.

Practical implications include:

• For businesses that serve people through seated activities - such as restaurants, churches and movie theaters - seating capacity limit is increased to the lesser of 50% of rated capacity or 100 people.
• Mandated wearing of face coverings is expanded to statewide, and will now apply to additional venues like municipal buildings and private schools.

Capacity limits for indoor non-seated activities, and outdoor gatherings, remain at 50 and 100 people, respectively.

And capacity limit of retail stores remains at 5 persons per 2000 sf of shopping space.

Gov. Mills said:

“With winter weather approaching, we must support businesses across the state as outdoor service becomes less viable and people move inside. This expanded capacity, along with continued health and safety precautions, is a prudent step forward that balances public health and economic health."

Throughout the summer and fall, restaurant owners and tourism officials have continued to urge the Governor to permit greater utilization of indoor space in order to increase sales for cash-strapped restaurants.