Planning a summer trip to Maine?

Paddlers' Place
#1

Our stay at home order is extended until May 31 at best. Quarantine 14 days for all out of state visitors. Will be enforced. I saw what looked like enforcement today with a gent in a car with NY plates.

We love you but please stay away. There is not much to do. Our lobsters will wait. I expect my kids will not be able to see us for the summer at all being from a high exposure environment and frankly I get extra annoyed when I am cut off by a driver from away.

Here is Gov Mills executive orders from today… She gets her cues from the head of the Maine CDC.

Reopening but it will take at least four months and if there is an outbreak the State will be shut down again That drive in movie place in Bridgton is going to be jammed!

Stages for Reopening Maine:

Stage 1 (May): Beginning May 1st, Stage 1 continues the prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people, the quarantine of all people entering or returning to Maine for a period of 14 days, and the special precautions for older Mainers and others at risk of COVID-19. It calls for people who are able to work from home to continue to do so, including State employees. It will also newly require that Maine people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain, and continue strict requirements for long-term care facilities. Guidance on cloth face coverings will be issued in the coming days. Stage 1 also allows for the limited expansion of certain business, religious, and quality of life activities, with appropriate safety precautions. These include:
Health care from Maine-licensed providers, with recommendations that they prioritize care for patients with time-sensitive conditions; assure the safety of patients, staff, and communities; manage the use of essential resources such as personal protective equipment and testing supplies; and pace re-opening services to the level of community COVID-19 activity, maintaining capacity in our hospitals for potential outbreaks
Personal services: Barber shops, hair salons, and pet grooming
Limited drive-in, stay-in-your-vehicle religious services
Drive-in movie theaters
Outdoor recreation: guided outdoor activities (hunting & fishing) and restricted use of golf and disc golf courses
State parks, state-owned public land trails, and historic sites; although certain coastal state parks will remain closed
Auto dealerships and car washes

Stage 2 (June): Tentatively beginning June 1st, Stage 2 contemplates revising the limitation on gatherings from less than 10 people to less than 50 people. It also calls for people who can work from home to continue to do so but allows for employees in certain fields to begin to reenter the office as needed, including State employees. It maintains the 14 day quarantine for all people entering or returning to Maine and the special precautions for older Mainers and others at risk of COVID-19. With appropriate safety precautions, Stage 2 would allow for some degree of opening with reservations, capacity limits, and other measures for:
Restaurants
Fitness and exercise centers and nail technicians
Retail stores for broader in-store shopping
Lodging and campgrounds for Maine residents and those who have met the 14 day quarantine requirement
Day camps for Maine children and those who have met the 14 day quarantine requirement
Coastal State parks

Stage 3 (July & August): Tentatively beginning July 1st, Stage 3 contemplates maintaining the prohibition on gatherings of more than 50 people and other Stage 1 and Stage 2 restrictions, including the 14-day quarantine on people entering Maine. With appropriate safety precautions, Stage 3 would allow for some degree of opening for:
Lodging, such as hotels, campgrounds, summer camps, or RV parks for Maine residents and visitors. The Administration is developing guidelines to assist them in safely reopening, and reservations should not be taken until those guidelines are issued.
Outdoor recreation such as charter boats and boat excursions
Bars
Personal services such as spas, tattoo and piercing parlors, and massage facilities, among others

#2

Yes, Governor Mills has pretty much had to sacrifice the normal summer tourism season. Perhaps a few long term renters of seasonal cottages might still be allowed subject to spending the first 14 days in self-quarantine, having the ability to obtain and/or cook food, etc. But even that isn’t clear based on the wording released so far. And as you said, nothing will be open and there won’t be much to do. Mainers will be able to drive down Rt. 1 on a Saturday afternoon without the backups at all the little villages but I expect you’d rather put up with the economic boost that usually comes with the visitors.

#3

Thanks for the update. How is self-quarantine defined? Normally, when I get to camp, I keep to myself except having a dinner with neighbors. Ok… Dinner is out, but does this mean I can’t go paddle or flyfish, even if I keep to myself and avoid the town center store and restaurants.

sing

#4

I am thinking of Reds Eats… Socially distancing… that is always a gaggle. they have to submit a business plan to ensure social distancing before they will be issued a permit.
I have no clue how that will work. ! Trust me I will be curious and there will be at least one day kayak trip we take that way
Personally I am worried more about the kids camps Where I live is the epicenter of kids camps in the whole USA. If they go under the Mc Mansions will come. But again I have no knowledge and am just speculating… We all do. Winona Camps is special to me and they are trying to work out plans. They are 110 years old.

I agree the wording is vagueish and the Numbers that Maine CDC comes up with rules. If there is a surge in cases all is clamped down on. Gov Mills alluded to that. PS I love Dr Shah… He is actually the ruler now. It seems to be a cooperative effort .

#5

Quarantine means that. What you do is of course a mutual agreement with your neighbors. I would just come in under cover of darkness and go about what seems to be your highly social life. :wink:
I can’t get my neighbors to even agree to a happy hour with everyone 20 feet apart. With others we put in a dock system with aid of machinery. The 6 foot rule may have been a bit cheated on when necessary… Otherwise we work as a team well at a distance with Budweiser at a distance.
I did see someone with a clipboard taking info from a driver with NY plates at a Hannaford so I am not sure tracking is happening at a crude level. It might have not even been tracking. Mills has said there will be enforcement…how I have not a clue. Your cell phone of course is always a giveaway for your location.

#6

As far as what does self-quarantine mean:

Here is Governor Mills’ order establishing quarantine restrictions:

That doesn’t actually define “quarantine”, but according to the CDC at the following link “Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.”. To me, “restricts the movement” really implies that they don’t want you to move around, i.e., stay put in whatever lodging you are in.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantineisolation.html

But I’m just guessing. I expect some clarification might come as summer gets closer.

Update: I just noticed that the governors proclamation says “home quarantine”, which also seems to imply staying in one place.

#7

Hmm… Since I go up to camp to partly stay at home to catch up on reading and half the time to paddle and fish alone, the restriction to stay in place at camp might mean my visits this spring and summer are pretty much out.

Better start booking my week (or two) out in Boston Harbor island campsite quick.

sing

1 Like
#8

Good question Sing and Wolf. Partly this comes out of the low exposure we have had to Covid 19 and the higher exposure in Mass CT and NY…

I have come to hate the phrase abundance of caution but it seems to rule. That said staying home has had a myriad of interpretations among locals.

I doubt you want to come upta camp to sit bounded by four walls.

This is all a highly personal decision. What I do know is amongst paddlers they are conscientious and do what is best for humankind.

At any rate what you do this summer: may it bring positive personal experiences.

#9

Sing - Don’t make any firm decisions based on my input. I’m just guessing. But it sure does sound like any form of lodging in Maine will be very restricted at least until July, and some may not even be allowed to take reservations until then.

#10

I just read the plan. Here is a link I found it on. https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/read-maine-governor-janet-mills-detailed-plan-to-reopen-maine-economy-during-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/97-d152a367-07c8-4926-b9a2-ac7843d6f010?ref=exit-recirc

The 14 day quarantine part needs work. Not too surprised if the authorities actually be follow up on it. I said I expected that, though I was informed I was incorrect.

But - they are opening up rentals as of June providing that the person has met the 14 day quarantine. Except that a renter has to get to the rental to quarantine. I assume it means get to the rental then quarantine but the wording is not entirely clear…

What they have done in some scenarios is to get the information of the person and their car at an entry point and either send ahead or tell the person to register with a local county health office. We have time to see, but this kind of thing would work. They are going to have to figure that part out.

I have already said I am just fine with being at the Cove for 14 days, so that is not an issue. It would be difficult for, as I previously said but deleted since it caused a problem, a family coming with kids to a rental in something like a typical motel.

Some things are likely to matter everywhere, not just Maine. Delivery of items including food to a seasonal address will probably be the best idea for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that many of the usual sources for stuff will also be running on very constrained access. Or not even be in business - this pandemic has already shut down the book store that I usually rely on to refresh my reading material about 10 days in. I started making plans for that last week.

My place could just simplify things and start their rentals in July without damaging my situation much.

Frankly my biggest concern about this plan is the crowd limits, up to 50 in July. It means some things will probably get cancelled soon - you can’t sustain a chamber concert series with 50 paying customers. But personally I don’t plan to be in any gatherings of that size until at least mid-August. September if the August event that would get me out is cancelled. To me that is still too many people.

#11

The news sources are incorrect. . Newscenter Maine is paraphrasing.
read the full and accurate plan here.
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-presents-safe-gradual-plan-restart-maines-economy-2020-04-28

no sorry in July you cannot move about for the first 14 days. Things could change of course.

#12

@kayamedic

  1. What is available in the article is the full and accurate plan. You have scroll down within the window under that title.

  2. Quarantine means staying at the lodging. I looked all over the place and there is thus far no language saying that means staying within four walls in the case of a privately owned enclave - some of which in the midcoast area have 50 or more acres within the property. In most enclaves I expect they have already decided that there will be no 4th of July gatherings, no or limited visitation between renters, no guests and no common use of facilities like laundry facilities etc. That all just makes it a lot easier to make sure that no is - literally - out of bounds.
    But there are enclaves with considerable acreage and able to be fully separate from town roads etc in the midcoast region.

Re a couple of thoughts above - frankly I would be considering cancelling if I went to a place where I could not privately go out and sit on some privately owned beach below my rental, or would be exposing myself to being reported just by going out to barbecue in the front yard overlooking the water. But none of this is a risk being off the road and self-contained.

It really will depend on the specifics of where you go.

#13

Yeah, it looks like we won’t be coming up this summer. We usually come up once or twice a year, and stay at my better half’s nieces place in Bremen for a week or so. Sad, but I completely understand why.

Stay healthy, and say hello to Muscongus Bay for me

#14

@Wayne_Smith
Unfortunately staying there in Bremen is a lot less flexible. But maybe it’ll loosen up for later in the season. September is awfully nice there.
I would normally offer to crash with me, but between the out of state part and the fact that it was my own suggestion to say no short term visitors, kind of cut myself off at the pass.

#15

here is the definition of quarantine. For some of you or me this may be life as normal

#16

Wayne you could self quarantine on Thief Island and if anyone approached you you could pretend to be a madman and still be obeying the rules.

#17

That’d be funny, now wouldn’t it. The house we stay at is right on the water, and we can launch & land on the top 3/4 of the tide, but I don’t see us making 14 days. Plus, I have to do the islands off Port Clyde at least once, and that would be out, which would seriously bum me out. If things change for the better by August or early September, we’d consider going.

#18

Thanks for posting that. There’s a lot more detail than I’ve found before.

#19

@kayamedic

Are these the portions you meant?

Whether you are self-quarantining or self-isolating, you should:
Stay home.
Limit the number of visitors in your home.
Avoid contact with others, especially those who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness.
Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from other people.
If you are sick, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.

To self-quarantine follow these precautions:
Stay at home for 14 days.
Monitor for fever (take temperature two times per day), cough, or trouble breathing.
Practice social distancing. Stay home (do not go to work or school), do not take public transportation or ride-shares, avoid crowded places, keep distance from others (about 6 feet).

Basically all quite doable depending on the specifics of a location. Wayne’s is not one of them - Jim and I have visited that house.

As with Wolf, thanks for posting it.

#20

Yes that is what I meant… Now have to figure out how to hold our annual road association meeting! We have some 60 people that usually congregate in a big driveway… Some are from away as their cottage is seasonal

I know nothing about Zoom For sure the social aspect of the meeting is going to be lacking… as well as the scones…
Time to learn something new today in the world of tech.