Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced on Wednesday that she will shortly issue an Executive Order making operators of certain businesses in parts of Maine responsible for enforcement of the mandatory wearing of face coverings by employees and customers.
Businesses to be affected include:
- "Large" retail stores
- Lodging places
- Restaurants
- Outdoor bars and tasting rooms (On 22 June, Gov. Mills suspended indefinitely the reopening of indoor bar service.)
In these counties:
- Cumberland
- Hancock
- Knox
- Lincoln
- Sagadahoc
- Waldo
- York
And also these cities:
- Auburn
- Bangor
- Brewer
- Lewiston
Mills said that businesses will be required to agree to enforce the face-covering requirement as a condition of reopening.
Whether or not to wear a mask has become a politicized issue across the US: some conservatives (of which there are plenty in Maine) are said to believe that mask-wearing is a sign of liberalism. There have been anti-mask protests and demonstrations in California, Florida, Texas and elsewhere.
Although President Donald Trump has so far largely avoided being photographed wearing a mask, he said Wednesday in an interview "I'm all for masks. I think masks are good."
Maine DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said the Mills Administration is trying to make sure that businesses "have the support so that they can deescalate circumstances where there is some hostility."
Has the Mills Administration thought this mask-wearing enforcement issue through sufficiently to ensure frictionless execution? Stay tuned.
