There are many questions with regards to Governor Mills’ Keep Maine Healthy program and a Maine Quarantine. The well-intended premise is to keep both Maine residents and tourists safe! What could be better than that? Tourists, from anywhere, knowing that not only are they coming to a beautiful state with a relatively low infection rate and wide variety of outdoor activities, but also know that other people here are either infection free or staying clear of other people. Visitors from states other than ME, NH, VT, NY, NJ, or CT must sign a Certificate of Compliance when staying in a lodging facility. The visitor must attest that ONE of the following is true:
- I have received a negative test result for COVID-19 on a specimen taken no longer than 72 hours prior to my arrival, consistent with Maine CDC guidance.
OR - I will quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Maine or for the duration of the stay;
OR - I have completed a 14-day quarantine in Maine prior to my stay.
The first bullet causes much angst for several reasons:
- With an uptick in COVID-19 cases in many places, testing is not readily accessible in some states
- If testing is available, it is often not possible to get results within 72 hours
- To some visitors, testing is cost prohibitive
In states where it is not possible to know before you go, you may test in Maine. They are working on expanding the number of swab and send sites. This currently presents some problem in that one must quarantine while waiting for the results.
Personally, I am not sure that I would want to subject myself to a COVID-19 test to go on vacation. However, once one understands the quarantine requirements, it is my idea of a perfect vacation anyway!
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