MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020
Out-of-state visitors are required to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before going out in Maine. Since most visits to Maine are much shorter than two weeks in length, this alone could spell disaster for the state’s $6.5 billion industry. With the season now here, it’s clear that there is no magic trick that will bring back 2019 levels of visitors. We need federal disaster relief for the businesses and workers hit hardest by this public health catastrophe because there is no way that many of these businesses will survive otherwise. This problem cannot be fixed simply by lifting regulations. “Reopen the economy” might look good on a poster, but in Maine what you are really saying is reopen the border and let the out-of-state visitors back in, without restriction.