MAINE, USA — You are starting to hear the term 'flattening the curve' as a way to stem the tide of coronavirus cases. The above video explains what that means.
Maine was one of the last states to be impacted by COVID-19, or coronavirus. Maine Governor Janet Mills spoke about the act of 'social distancing' as an effective means to curb the community spread of the disease.
"Reducing the interaction of large groups of people across the state will play a role in reducing an outbreak and substantially reduce the spread," Mills said.
Mills recommended postponing non-essential indoor gatherings of 250 or more people. That includes hockey games, basketball games, meetings, and events. Governor Mills says the recommendations do not include closing schools but following the guidance from the CDC when it comes to limiting contact.
While many schools are closing due to coronavirus, Governor Mills has not mandated closings. To that end, a statement from the governor's office reads:
The Governor, upon the current advice of Maine CDC, is not yet requiring school closures, though this is a rapidly evolving situation. She is consulting with experts at every level on the next best course of action. For now, she has directed the Maine Department of Education to work closely with school systems to prepare for the possibility of required closures and to support them as they make decisions that are best for the needs of their individual communities. For schools that opt to close or pursue remote learning, the Maine Department of Education has applied for and received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow them to provide meals offsite to students. The Governor is closely and carefully evaluating the situation and she is prepared to act swiftly if the risk changes.
NEWS CENTER Maine is keeping an up to date list of all major cancellations across the state. If you are a member of NEWS CENTER Maine's closings system, we suggest you enter those closings there as well (WCSH area - WLBZ area). If you are NOT a member of the closings system, you can register on the same page.
Schools
- Bangor School Department closed March 16 - March 27
- Baxter Academy for Science & Technology moving classes to online until further notice
- Biddeford schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Bowdoin College moving all classes online
- Brunswick schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Brunswick Region 10 Technical High School closed Monday, March 16
- Cape Elizabeth Schools March 16 - March 27
- Central Maine Community College will extend it for students to include the week of March 23.
- Colby College moving all classes online, asking all students to move out by March 15
- College of the Atlantic: Moving all classes online for the spring trimester beginning March 30.
- Carrabassett Valley Academy: full-time distance learning until April 26
- Dayton School Department closed March 16 - March 27
- Eastern Maine Community College, Northern Maine Community College, and Washington County Community College will extend the break for students to include the week of March 23.
- Falmouth schools March 16 - March 27
- Gorham schools closed
- John Bapst Memorial High School: suspended on-campus until April 27
- Kennebec Valley Community College, and York County Community College will extend their student break through the week of March 16
- Kittery Schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Maine College of Art extends spring break through Monday, March 30
- Maine Catholic Schools to Close Through At Least March 29
- Mackworth Island Preschool MECDHH/GBSD closed two weeks as of March 14
- MSAD 6 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- MSAD 51 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- MSAD 60 schools closed March 16- March 27
- MSAD 72 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Lewiston schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Portland schools closed March 16 - March 30
- RSU 5 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- RSU 10 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- RSU 14 schools closed March 16 - March 29
- RSU 21 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- RSU 23 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- RSU 54/MSAD 54 closed March 16 - March 27
- RSU 57 schools closed March 16 - March 29
- RSU 60 schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Saco schools closed March 16 - 27
- Sanford schools closed March 16 - 27
- Scarborough School District: closed until March 27
- Sebago School District schools closed March 16 - 27
- South Portland schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Southern Maine Community College: Spring Break extended until March 22
- Thomas College - Remote learning through the end of the semester. Housing closing March 18th
- The University of Maine System moving all classes online
- Wells-Ogunquit City School District schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Westbrook schools closed March 16 - March 27
- Windham RSU-14 March 16 - March 27
- Yarmouth Schools closed March 16 - March 27 - Will start online classes March 17
- Old Orchard Beach Schools closed for two weeks starting March 16.
- Region 9 School of Applied Technology 0209 closed March 16-27
Sports
- Maine high schools' spring sports season postponed until April 27
- Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin spring sports canceled
- Special Olympics: suspended
- New England Cheerleading Championships canceled
- Maine Red Claws 2019-20 season suspended
- Eastern Maine Sportsmen's Show canceled
- Eastern Maine Community College is postponing the SkillsUSA Maine 2020 state competition, signing day events, and EMCConnect event.
- UMaine women's basketball championship canceled
- Hockey East men's hockey tournament canceled
- Mt. Abram Ski Resort closing for the season
- Special Olympics Maine postponed until further notice
- Minor League Baseball (Portland Sea Dogs) is delaying the start of the 2020 season
- Sea Dogs Job Fair scheduled for Friday, March 13 has been canceled
- All UMaine sports postponed until April 3
- North American Hockey League (NAHL) and NA3HL are pausing seasons
- Maine Football Coaches Association Clinic on March 12 has been postponed indefinitely
- Sebago TU 2020 Annual Conservation Event in Portland on March 21 has been canceled; organizers plan to reschedule for some time in the fall
- The Fly Fishing Film Tour with Fly Fishing in Maine, scheduled for March 13 & 14 in Brunswick, has been postponed. Organizer said it would be rescheduled at a later date.
- Old Orchard Beach Alumni Basketball Game scheduled for March 20 is canceled
- The Harlem Globetrotters announced that they will be suspending planned games on their domestic U.S. tour from Friday, March 13 through Thursday, March 19.
- The remainder of the Maine Mariners' season is canceled
- Challenger Learning Center of Maine is closed.
- YMCA of Southern Maine (all locations) will be closed until March 29
Arts and Culture
- Merrill Auditorium, Portland Expo, and Ocean Gateway have canceled all events scheduled for the next 30 days. The cancellations were announced March 13.
- Maine Drama Festival: canceled
- Portland's St. Patrick's Day Parade: canceled
- Maine Statehood Day on Sunday in Augusta: postponed
- Maine Odyssey of the Mind regional finals: canceled
- Maine Science Festival: canceled
- Waterfront Concerts and Live Nation rescheduled: Martina McBride in Orono, Celtic Woman in Portland, and The Beach Boys in Portland.
- New England Aquarium: temporary closed
- Bicentennial Bash in Rockland: postponed
- Maine Statehood Day: originally March 15, postponed to an undetermined later date
- The Androscoggin Bank Colisee multi-purpose arena is suspending mass gatherings indefinitely
- The Collins Center for the Arts is suspending ticket sales until further notice and postponing shows: NT live broadcast of Fleabag; Martina McBride; Met live in HD: Der Fliegende Holländer; Broadway broadcast: Kinky Boots; Miro String Quartet
- Bangor Symphony Orchestra concerts have been canceled
- Maine Boatbuilders Show is postponed
- The Femmes of Rock concert at Waterville Opera House on March 13 is canceled
- Spirits Alive March lecture has been canceled
- The Friends of the Belgrade Public Library has canceled their used book sale originally scheduled for March 14 at the Belgrade Central School gymnasium.
- "We Love Maine" Pineland Suzuki School Benefit Concert at Messalonskee High School on March 15 is canceled
- The Fly Fishing Film Tour with Fly Fishing in Maine, scheduled for March 13 & 14 in Brunswick, has been postponed. Organizer said it would be rescheduled at a later date.
- Opera House Arts suspended all public events until further notice.
- First Friday Artwalk in Portland is canceled until further notice.
- The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce postponed its annual Business & Community Expo to an undetermined date
- Portland Public Library canceled all programs, including visits from the bookmobile, until further notice. All public use of meeting rooms and community rooms from outside organizations is also canceled until further notice.
- All Portland Public Library Locations will be closed until March 30
- University of Maine Museum of Art (UMMA) closed until further notice
- 4th Annual Maine Flower Show is canceled
- Sesame Street Live has been postponed until further notice.
- Gabriel Iglesias “Beyond The Fluffy” World Tour “Go Big or Go Home” has been postponed.
- Hallowell Public Exhibition of the rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been postponed.
Albacore Park Submarine and Museum in Portsmouth, NH temporarily closed.
Maine State House and Senate will temporarily end public tours, concerts, Hall of Flag events, other large gatherings, and close the viewing gallery to the publicAmerican Legion Post 205 bingo is canceled for the next two weeks
Bangor Public Library is closed to the public until at least March 30
Lewiston Public Library is closed until at least April 6
American Legion Post 205 is cancelling Bingo for next two weeks (Updated March 16)
Maine Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony scheduled for March 21 has been rescheduled to Saturday, October 17.
St. Lawrence Arts is canceling all shows until April 30.
Oxford Casino Hotel closing for two weeks effective Monday, March 16.
Bull Moose moves to online sales only through March 27
GovernmentCity of Portland Board of Public Education Finance Committee meeting: relocated to Casco Bay High School and closed to the public
- Visits from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Mobile Units suspended until further notice.
- The City of South Portland has closed the following: Main Library, Branch Library, Redbank Community Center and the Community Center.
- The City of Lewiston has canceled all non-essential meetings and events for the next 30 days.
- City of Lewiston has closed the Rec Department and Senior Center for the next two weeks- they will reevaluate after that.
- City of Lewiston Ca$h Coalition is closed for two weeks EXCEPT for tax preparations scheduled for 3/14. The new location is at the AARP site at 8 Sacred Heart Place in Auburn.
- Maine Historical Society is suspending all public activities starting March 16—the library, gallery, and public and education programs through April 30, 2020. This means that the library and the gallery will be closed to the public and all public programs, school visits, and facility rentals will be cancelled with the hopes of rescheduling in the future.
Maine Supreme Judicial Courthouse through May 1, with the exception of the events listed below, all in-person court events for family, civil, and criminal dockets are postponed. The courthouses of Maine remain open to the public. The courts will schedule and hear only the following:
- Arraignments and first appearances of defendants held in custody
- Motions for review of bail
- Juvenile detention hearings
- Protection from Abuse requests and hearings
- Protection from Harassment requests and hearings
- Child Protection petitions and hearings
- Mental health requests and hearings
- Hearings granted on motion
- Bangor Public Library is closed. Will reopen on March 30.
- Old Orchard Beach Rec Department closed until further notice.
- Pease Development Authority Board of Directors meeting scheduled for March 19 has been canceled
- Lamoine annual town meeting scheduled for March 18 postponed to an undetermined later date.
- Thomaston Muniscal Non-uniform offices: The Town Office, Code Enforcement, Assessing and Recreation offices will all be closed to all non-office staff, visitors and customers until further notice.
Businesses
- Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce is canceling, postponing, or live streaming (when possible) events through the end of March.
- Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce is canceling After Hours events for March, April, and May.
- Urban Outfitters, Portland
Police, EMS, and Fire Department Events
- The Bangor Professional Firefighters postponed their annual Chili and Chowder Cook-Off to benefit MDA of Northern New England. It will be postponed but no sooner than 30 days from March 13.
Religious
- The Episcopal Church in Maine suspended in-person worship, formation programs, and governance meetings throughout the diocese until further notice.
The Diocese of Portland has made the following decisions:
- All large, social gatherings scheduled in the next 30 days at Maine parishes, including dinners, dances, and special community events, are postponed/canceled.
- All large, social gatherings scheduled in the next 30 days at Catholic schools in Maine, including auctions, family festivals, and plays/musicals are postponed/canceled. In addition, all field trips, in or out of state, are postponed/canceled.
- All social gatherings at facilities operated by Diocese of Portland’s Bureau of Housing, including assisted-living facilities, are canceled.
- The Maine Catholic Women’s Conference, scheduled for March 21 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, is canceled.
- The Maine Catholic Youth Conference, scheduled for April 17-19 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, is postponed until July 24-26 in Portland.
- The Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, scheduled for April 17-19 in Bangor, is canceled, with the next retreat slated for October 23-25 in Bangor
- St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth is suspended until at least March 28
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suspending all of its worship services globally because of the spread of the new coronavirus.
Local leaders will determine how and when sacrament will be made available to church members at least once a month.
This includes:
- Stake conferences, leadership conferences and other large gatherings
- All public worship services, including sacrament meetings
- Branch, ward and stake activities
Restaurants
On Monday, March 16 the City of Portland strongly recommended all restaurants close to dine-in customers or dramatically limit the number of customers, and provide takeout or delivery options only for the foreseeable future. While this is the preferable option, the City understands that some restaurants may not be set up to do so.
Restaurants around the state have closed, changed hours, or have already been reduced to delivery or take out.
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Social Distancing Video